SCOTLAND

Remploy

Frank Doran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's procurement policy is in relation to Remploy factories in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: As one of the smallest Government Departments with a limited procurement budget, the Scotland Office does not currently procure goods or services from Remploy although we are currently reviewing our procurement policies. It is the case that this Government will contribute £555 million over the next five years as part of Remploy's restructuring programme. This will ensure the future of many Remploy factories, including that in my hon. Friend's constituency.

Public Expenditure

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what public expenditure per person is planned for Scotland in each of the next five years.

Des Browne: Spending plans for the next three years were included in the recently released comprehensive spending review providing Scotland with total departmental expenditure limits of £27.2 billion in 2008-09, £28.4 billion in 2009-10 and £29.7 billion in 2010-11.
	Scotland also benefits from direct spend from Whitehall Departments in reserved areas, which accounts for just under half of all public spending in Scotland.

Devolution

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of Scotland on further devolution of powers to Scotland.

Des Browne: I have had discussions with the First Minister on a range of issues and I look forward to further constructive discussions in the interests of the people of Scotland in the future.

Constitution

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on constitutional arrangements affecting Scotland.

Des Browne: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice whose Department is responsible for, among many other things, the overall management of the UK's constitutional arrangements and relationships including with the devolved Administrations.

Commonwealth Games: Glasgow

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what support the Government intend to provide for the holding of the Commonwealth games in Glasgow in 2014.

Des Browne: Scotland Office officials are currently working closely with the Scottish Executive, taking forward secondary legislation in the UK Parliament ensuring that requirements of the Commonwealth Games Federation are met.

Commonwealth Games: Glasgow

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department will bring forward proposals for the Government to assist with the holding of the Commonwealth games in Glasgow in 2014; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office will take forward secondary legislation in the UK Parliament to ensure that the requirements laid down by the Commonwealth Games Federation are met. Scotland Office officials are working closely with colleagues in the Scottish Executive.

Commonwealth Games: Glasgow

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth games.

David Cairns: I wrote to the Scottish Ministers on 21 September offering our full support for the bid and officials in the Scotland Office are working closely with the Scottish Executive on a number of issues to ensure the successful preparation for the games. This will include secondary legislation to protect intellectual property rights.

Departmental Assets

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; what the expected revenue from each sale is; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has little by way of disposable assets, and we have no plans to dispose of any between 2007-08 and 2010-11.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who the special advisers in his Department are; what expertise each has; and what the cost of employing them was in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 147WS.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Anniversaries

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which historical anniversaries his Department intends to mark in each of the next four years.

Margaret Hodge: DCMS plans to mark Remembrance day each year by organising, in concert with other stakeholder bodies, a commemoration ceremony at the Cenotaph, London on the nearest Sunday to 11 November, the anniversary of the first world war Armistice. Further details will be issued shortly before each of those commemorations.
	The Department has no plans to mark other historical anniversaries at this time.

Churches: Finance

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport further to the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), what funds he expects to be available for churches of heritage value over the CSR period.

Margaret Hodge: Allocations under the Comprehensive Spending Review to those bodies with responsibilities that include the heritage of places of worship have been notified to those bodies.
	The Churches Conservation Trust, which cares for redundant Church of England churches of heritage value, will receive £3.1 million per year in 2008-9 to 2010-11, an increase of £100,000 per year.
	We announced on 18 October that English Heritage's funding will be £124.7 million in 2008-09, £126.7 million in 2009-10, and £130.7 million in 2010-11, which will allow them to maintain grants at current levels and progress specified initiatives as outlined in the 'inspired!' campaign on historic places of worship.
	The listed places of worship grant scheme, which makes grants equivalent to the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in use for worship, will continue to operate until March 2011, unless a permanent reduced VAT rate for such repairs is agreed by the European Commission in the interim. Under this scheme, all eligible applications are met, and the funding made available will depend on the number of applications made.

Commonwealth Games: Glasgow

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the digital dividend will affect the availability of radio spectrum for the staging needs of the 2014 Commonwealth games in Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: holding answer 26  N ovember 2007
	 The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), as independent regulator for the communications sector. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Creative Pioneer Academy

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many people attended the Creative Pioneer Academy in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many awards have been given as part of the Creative Pioneer Academy; and for what purposes these awards have been used;
	(3)  what the total cost was of the Creative Pioneer Academy in each of the last three years.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 15 November 2007
	 I have been asked to reply.
	The Creative Pioneer Academy was a programme set up by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and responsibility for NESTA transferred to my Department in June 2007.
	I have been advised by the chief executive of NESTA that the academy, which has now closed, was attended by 30 pioneers in 2004, 25 in 2005 and 30 in 2006. A total of 48 awards of up to £35,000 were awarded to enable the participants to put the knowledge acquired into practice and to implement their business plan. The total cost of the academy was £824,000 in 2004-05, £912,000 in 2005-06 and £757,000 in 2006-07.

Departmental Property

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on renovation and refurbishment of its properties in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In each of the last five years the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has spent the following on the renovation and refurbishment of its properties.
	2006-07—£6.7 million (aggregate figure for work finalised in this year subject to account negotiation). These costs were in pursuance of the recommendations of the "Lyons Report" and allowed the Department, after a refurbishment and modernisation project, to rationalise the size of its estate. This enabled the Department to move most staff from existing outlying properties into the single building which had been refurbished. The Department has closed two outlying properties plus additional floors in its two other remaining properties. The properties and areas that are now relinquished have either been returned to their landlords, or are pending disposal.

Digital Broadcasting: Gaelic Language

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 329W, on Digital Broadcasting: Gaelic Language, what the outcome was of the BBC Trust's consideration of the proposals.

James Purnell: On 21 November the BBC Trust provisionally concluded that, while the Gaelic Digital Service could deliver public value, further evidence was needed to demonstrate the service's educational benefits and appeal to a wider audience. The Trust requested that further evidence should be provided by the BBC Executive before the public consultation on the service closes on 19 December. If that evidence proves satisfactory the Trust would approve the service, subject to certain specific requirements and conditions being met.

Flags

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the grade is of the most senior official in his Department who has responsibility for policy on flag flying.

Margaret Hodge: The most senior DCMS official, responsible for all departmental matters, is its Permanent Secretary, Jonathan Stephens.

National Security

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Statement by the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, when he expects the guidance to museums, libraries and archives councils on extremist material referred to by the Prime Minister to be issued.

Margaret Hodge: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) will develop this guidance, in partnership with the public library sector, and intends to publish by the end of the calendar year, 2007.

S4C: Finance

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding his Department gave to S4C in each of the last five years.

James Purnell: S4C has a statutory, calendar year grant entitlement under section 61 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 (as amended). Under this formula, DCMS grant to S4C in each of the last five years has been:
	
		
			   Grant (£ million) 
			 2003 83.634 
			 2004 85.729 
			 2005 88.690 
			 2006 90.857 
			 2007 94.395

Spaces for Sports and Arts Programme: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department gave to the Spaces for Sports and Arts programme in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 19 October 2007
	 The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Space for Sports and Arts (£ million) 
			 2001-02 0.5 
			 2002-03 10.1 
			 2003-04 40.9 
			 2004-05 27.5 
			 Total 79.0 
		
	
	The scheme commenced in October 2000 and it was expected that all but one of the projects would be completed and open by November 2005.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of  (a) beef,  (b) lamb,  (c) pork and  (d) dairy products used in his departmental headquarters were imported products in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: My Department does not provide catering services at its departmental headquarters building therefore this information is not available.
	In respect of the catering services provided at other NIO premises it is not possible to identify the percentage of produce which is imported as such data are not held.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the office costs for his Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers.

Shaun Woodward: One civil servant supports the special adviser in my office. He provides administrative support of a non-political nature in accordance with the code of conduct for special advisers and also provides support to the private offices.
	Individual civil servants' salary details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned. Office costs will be accounted for in the 2007-08 departmental annual report and accounts.

Departmental Opinion Polls

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what opinion polls the Department has conducted of  (a) the public and  (b) staff since 27 June 2007; and what the (i) name of the firm employed to conduct the poll, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost to the public purse was in each case.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office and its agencies have carried out three opinion polls since 27 June 2007. This information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Opinion polls conducted since June 2007 of: 
			  (a) The public  (b) Staff  Name of firm employed to conduct the poll  Purpose  Cost to the public purse (£) 
			 Northern Ireland Crime Survey — Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency Primarily, to measure people's experience of crime and their perceptions of crime, policing and the criminal justice system. 280,000 
			  
			 Survey on purchasing counterfeit goods. — Genesis Advertising Ltd Pre- and post- campaign evaluation survey to gauge opinion on attitude to purchasing counterfeit goods in advance of advertising campaign. 7,370 
			  
			 Public opinion poll — Millward Brown Ulster Validating government policies. 21,385 
			 (1) Per annum

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department and its agencies spent on staff working on  (a) marketing and  (b) branding in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office (including its agencies) does not have any full-time equivalent staff responsible for brand management and marketing. However, from time to time staff in various parts of the office are engaged in related activities, including maintaining and ensuring the application of corporate branding. These staff costs together with any associated non staff costs could be separately identified only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department and its agencies spent on managing their corporate identities in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office (including its agencies) does not have any full-time equivalent staff responsible for managing corporate identities. However, from time to time staff in various parts of the office are engaged in related activities, including maintaining and ensuring the application of corporate branding. These staff costs together with any associated non staff costs could be separately identified only at disproportionate cost.

Health Insurance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials in his Department have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package.

Shaun Woodward: No staff employed within the Northern Ireland Office have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Lighting: Waste Disposal

David Davies: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what guidance has been issued on procedures for  (a) cleaning up and  (b) disposing of environmentally-friendly light bulbs which have been broken.

Nick Harvey: The instructions are that the cleaning operative, using protective gloves and wearing a mask, should collect the main fragments of the light bulb and carefully place these into a sturdy box. All splinters should then be collected using stiff card or paper. The area should then be cleaned using a damp cloth. The splinters and the cloth should also be placed into the box. Once the area is clear and clean, the box should be sealed and labelled with details of the item. The box should then be taken to the waste removal area in the loading bay and passed to the waste disposal contractor for disposal in an appropriate manner.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Drew: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission for what reasons the National Audit Office wanted information from HM Revenue and Customs on all child benefit recipients.

Alan Williams: This is not a matter for the Commission. The Comptroller and Auditor General has, by statute, complete discretion in the discharge of his functions, and the Commission therefore does not intervene in the day to day running of the National Audit Office. The hon. Member may wish to write to the Comptroller and Auditor General.

National Audit Office: Data Protection

Tom Brake: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what plans the National Audit Office (NAO) has to review the practices involved in transporting data; whether the NAO  (a) uses and  (b) plans to continue to use TNT to transport data; and what plans it has to put the transportation of confidential data out to tender.

Alan Williams: This is not a matter for the Commission. The Comptroller and Auditor General has, by statute, complete discretion in the discharge of his functions, and the Commission therefore does not intervene in the day to day running of the National Audit Office. The hon. Member may wish to write to the Comptroller and Auditor General.

TRANSPORT

Bristol International Airport

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what expansion plans her Department has for Bristol International Airport; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government's 2003 White Paper "The Future of Air Transport" recognises provision of additional airport capacity as a key driver to generating regional growth and investment, whilst taking account of the environmental impacts of air travel. Within this context airport operators were invited to publish master plans setting out future development proposals.
	Bristol International Airport published a master plan in late 2006 setting out detailed medium-term development plans, including expansion of the existing terminal building. Ultimately, it will be for the airport's operator to bring forward development proposals for consideration through the planning system in the normal way.

Departmental ICT

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which manufacturers' software is used in her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following manufacturers' software is used in the Department for Transport and its agencies.
	
		
			   Software used 
			 Dft (Central) SAP AG, Microsoft, Novell, InstallShield, Adobe, Citrix, Ahead, Barren McCann, Becrypt, McAfee, Peoplesoft, Diagonal Solutions, Red Hat 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) Adobe, Ahead Nero, Attachmate, Avanquest UK, Avaya, BEA BeCrypt, Blenheim Software, Business Objects, Computer Associates Corel, Cyberlink, Danka, Dell, EMC, HP, IBM, Identex, Kodak McAfee, Microsoft, Neurascript, Novell, Nuance, Omega First Ltd. Oracle, Pro Atria, QAS, SAP, SAS, Scanoptics, Siebel SmartIdentity, Software AG, Sophos, Sybase, Synapse Adaptive, Logic Group, TIBCO Staffware, Treehouse Software 
			 Driving Standards Agency (DSA) Adobe, Amberpoint, Autocad, Automobile Association, BancTec, BEA, Brightstor, Business Objects, Business Services Management, Capita, CDC Respond, Clarify, Corel, Cyberlink, DataEase, Dell, Diskeeper, Dotted Eyes, Empire Interactive, Fabis, FileMaker, Globalgold, Globalscape, Hewlett Packard, Hummingbird Exceed, Java, Jolly Giant Software, Keypoint, Logitech, Macromedia, Mapinfo, McAfee, Microsoft, Mindjet, Nobo, Nuance, Oracle, QAS, Quark, Quest, SecureDial, Sherpa Software, Softsteel, Sun, Supergen, Symantec, TextHelp, Veritas, Websense 
			 Highways Agency (HA) Adobe, Citrix, Computer Associates, Hewlett Packard, Macromedia, Microsoft, Network Associates, Open Text, Oracle, Sun 
			 Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Novell, Microsoft, McAfee, Adobe, Oracle, Red Hat, Centos, SUSE, Sun, Business Objects, Cedar, Opentext, Mapinfo, Fortek, Sunguard Vivista, BMT, Kornsberg Norcontrol 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) Microsoft, Websense, Securewave, Civica, Cedar, Davies and Robson, GFI, Sage, Albany, Blackbay, EXPO, Northgate, Techsmith, Adobe, Amyuni 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, BEA, CA, Citrix, Hewlett Packard, Corvu, Zephry, Adobe, Clearswift, Baron McCann, Becrypt, 12, Sun, Winzip Computing, Actuate, Checkpoint, EMC, Hart Hanks, SAS, Symantec, Euro Decision, Experian, Globalscape, Human Concepts, Hummingbird, Kofax, McAFee, Marshall, Serena, Sybase, Webtrends, Applix, Business Objects 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) Novell, Microsoft, Clearswift, Sunsystems, Gael Quality

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many reports have been made to her Department's nominated officers under paragraph 16 of the revised Civil Service Code since its publication on 6 June 2006;
	(2)  how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to her Department by departmental staff since 6 June 2006;
	(3)  when her Department's whistleblowing procedures were reviewed to reflect the provisions in the revised Civil Service Code.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Cabinet Office on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 596-97W.

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what surveys have been conducted by  (a) her Department and  (b) external consultants; and how much each survey cost in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff are responsible for brand management and marketing in her Department and its agencies.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of full-time equivalent staff currently responsible for brand management and marketing to external audiences in the Department and its agencies is set out as follows:
	
		
			   Full-time equivalent staff 
			 DfT Central 22 
			 DSA 7 
			 DVLA 15.5 
			 GCDA 1 
			 HA 8 
			 MCA 1.5 
			 VGA 2.4 
			 VOSA 0.2

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department and its agencies spent on staff working on  (a) marketing and  (b) branding in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The estimated annual cost of staff working on marketing and branding to external audiences in the Department and its agencies is set out as follows:
	
		
			   Staff cost (£000) 
			 DfT Central 1,080 
			 DSA 233 
			 DVLA 329 
			 GCDA 52 
			 HA 260 
			 MCA 65 
			 VCA 112 
			 VOSA 6 
		
	
	It is not practicable to reliably distinguish staff effort on branding alone.

Heathrow Airport: Public Participation

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) environmental data and  (b) model inputs were used in the consultation on Heathrow airport; and if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's analysis of the consultation responses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The consultation document "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport", published on 22 November, is supported by a series of technical documents setting out in detail the underlying modelling, data and assumptions used. These documents are listed in Annex D to the main consultation document. All the documents are available on the Department for Transport's website: www.dft.gov.uk/heathrowconsultation. The consultation runs until 27 February 2008 and, in line with Government practice, a summary of consultation responses will be published. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Railway Stations: Security

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, column 667, on national security, what plans her Department has to improve security at  (a) overground and  (b) London Underground railway stations.

Tom Harris: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Department for Transport already has in place a range of measures to protect our railway systems. Plans to improve on these measures are being worked through with the railway industry with the aim of ensuring a regime which is proportionate and effective while still allowing people to go about their day-to-day business.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's statement mentioned two specific projects which will build on the measures already in place to protect the rail and underground networks from terrorist attacks: passenger screening and physical protection against vehicle bomb attacks.
	 Passenger Screening
	Last year, the Department for Transport undertook a number of trials at London Underground and National Rail stations, to test the effectiveness of passenger screening equipment and explosives sniffer dogs in an operational environment.
	The Department is planning with the British Transport Police (BTP) and other stakeholders how we might increase and improve the screening of passengers and bags, in the light of the evidence from these trials and elsewhere. The aim of such passenger screening would be threefold: deterrence, detection and public reassurance.
	We anticipate that this would involve the flexible deployment of dogs and/or portable screening equipment by BTP across the rail network, with a focus on the busiest stations, both overground and London Underground. The exact locations and timing of these deployments would be an operational decision for the British Transport Police.
	 Physical protection of stations
	There are already security measures in place at major railway stations to control normal vehicle access, such as deliveries and staff parking.
	Permanent physical vehicle restraints have been installed at the recently-refurbished St. Pancras International station, from which Eurostar now operates. There are agreements in place for similar measures at other key overground and London Underground stations that will be undergoing major redevelopments as part of 'designing in' security. For other significant stations, programmes of work are under active consideration.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what progress her Department is making on developing a sustainability labelling scheme for renewable transport fuels;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the potential effect of biofuel production on deforestation;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the potential effect of biofuel production on biodiversity;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the effect of biofuel production on orang-utan habitats;
	(5)  what assessment she has made of the effect of biofuel production on food prices.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have asked the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership to carry out a feasibility study into a possible sustainability labelling scheme for biofuels. The work is under way and we will publish our findings as soon as possible.
	The rapidly increasing global demand for palm oil and other agricultural commodities for use in the food and other sectors has a number of environmental and social consequences. The biofuel sector currently accounts for a very small fraction of total global demand for these products. Current high cereals prices are due to global factors, including two successive lower world wheat harvests, low global stocks and increased demand for cereals from the food, feed and fuels sectors. Growing global demand for biofuels can be expected to increase crop prices but also the supply of crops in the future.
	The Government take very seriously the potential risks associated with unsustainable biofuel production, including deforestation, reduction of biodiversity and any more particular threats to endangered species. We have developed a comprehensive carbon and sustainability reporting mechanism as an integral part of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) which is due to come into effect in April 2008. This is designed to encourage transport fuel suppliers to ensure the sustainability of their biofuels. We are also pressing the European Commission to introduce a robust mandatory sustainability framework for biofuels as a part of its forthcoming Renewable Energy Directive. We have said that we will not support any higher targets for future biofuel use until we are satisfied that effective sustainability standards are in place.
	From April 2008, we will ask the Renewable Fuels Agency to report on a quarterly basis on the sustainability impacts of the RTFO. This will allow us to monitor very closely any adverse impacts of biofuel production. The Government will monitor how markets are affected by growing biofuel demand and will tailor policies accordingly.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what scientific  (a) reports and  (b) evidence she considered prior to introducing her proposal for a Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Before announcing in November 2005 that it would introduce a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), the Government carried out extensive public consultation and a detailed feasibility study into the practicality, as well as the likely costs and benefits, of such a scheme. Copies of the study were placed in the House Libraries, and are available via the Department's website:
	www.dft.gov.uk
	As part of the feasibility study, the Government commissioned various reports from experts, including on whether and how greenhouse gas and broader environmental and social assurance schemes should be linked to an RTFO. The Government also took into account a wide range of scientific evidence on the costs and benefits of biofuels as part of the development of policy on the RTFO. This included Government-funded studies by Sheffield Hallam university and the Central Science Laboratory considering the lifecycle benefits and impacts of biofuels. Research published by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in association with the European Council for Automotive Research and Development (EUCAR) and the Oil Companies' European Organisation for Environment, Health and Safety (CONCAWE)) on biofuels and other potential future transport fuels was also taken into account.
	The Government will continue to take into account new scientific evidence on the impacts of biofuels as it becomes available, and will continue to tailor their biofuel policies accordingly.

Roads: Accidents

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research she has commissioned on the accident rates of left-hand and right-hand drive vehicles using UK roads; and whether her Department collects information categorising accidents by driver position.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department collects information on whether vehicles involved in reported personal injury road accidents in Great Britain are foreign registered and, if they are, whether they are left hand drive, right hand drive or two wheelers. This information has been collected since January 2005 and is published in table 53 of "Road Casualties Great Britain—2006 Annual Report". Copies of the report have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. This table can also be found on the Department's website at the following address:
	http://www.dft.tov.uk/172974/173025/221412/221549/227755/285672/WebTables4153.xls
	Information on the number of, or distance travelled by, foreign registered vehicles in Great Britain is not separately available and so a rate cannot be calculated.

Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have worked in her Department on national road pricing in each of the last five years, broken down by grade.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 878W, (UIN 159129), which in turn referred to earlier answers provided on this subject.

DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers: France

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much he expects the UK to receive from France's purchase of the Future Aircraft Carrier design; and what the schedule is for payment of this sum.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 Under the Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation signed with France the UK has received £70 million from France in respect of the shared Future Aircraft carrier design. A final payment of £45 million is conditional on France's decision to manufacture a carrier based on the Common Baseline Design.

Armed Forces: Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many units of  (a) married and  (b) single accommodation are provided at each barracks in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) Germany; and what percentage of that accommodation is (A) in use, (B) subject to repair and refurbishment and (C) empty.

Derek Twigg: The requested information is not held centrally and it will take time to determine what can be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. I will therefore write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Housing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with colleagues to identify married quarter voids that can be released to alleviate homelessness.

Derek Twigg: In England and Wales most surplus Service Families Accommodation is returned to its owner, Annington Homes Ltd. Its alternative use is not therefore a matter for the Ministry of Defence (MOD). In Scotland, MOD officials maintain close contact with the Scottish Executive and other bodies on this issue. Some properties have been released to housing associations in the past.

Armed Forces: Mortgages

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold discussions with the Council of Mortgage Lenders on the treatment of mortgage applications submitted by armed forces personnel who are then posted overseas.

Bob Ainsworth: We have no plans to hold discussions with the Council of Mortgage Lenders on the treatment of mortgage applications submitted by armed forces personnel who are then posted overseas. There has been no indication of problems in this area but if the hon. Member wishes to give further detail I would be glad to consider it further.

Army: Absenteeism

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel from each regiment or unit were reported as absent without leave in each  (a) month and  (b) year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 475W, on Defence Export Services Organisation, whether Lord Drayson's opinion was  (a) sought and  (b) given before the Prime Minister took the decision to transfer the Defence Export Services Organisation's responsibilities to UK Trade and Investment.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 It is not our practice to comment on exchanges of views between Ministers that take place in the normal course of formulating, and reaching decisions on, Government policy.

Departmental Buildings

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding has been  (a) made available and  (b) spent to make the buildings occupied by his Department fully accessible to disabled people.

Derek Twigg: Expenditure on Disability Discrimination Act-related improvements is contained within overall project costs. Thus, this Department does not identify separately either total funding or the amount spent in making alterations to buildings for these purposes.

Departmental ICT

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been allocated to the Atlas Consortium defence information infrastructure programme; how much is expected to have been spent on the programme by 31 March 2008; and whether he plans to extend the system to in-theatre forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 20 November 2007, the Ministry of Defence has an approved allocation of £4.068 billion for the fixed element of the Defence Information Infrastructure Future (DII(F)) programme and an approved allocation of £0.384 billion for the deployed element. This total allocation includes £3.372 billion (at current prices, including VAT) for the presently contracted elements of the programme between the MOD and the DII Delivery Partner, the ATLAS Consortium.
	Currently, forecast expenditure to 31 March 2008 is £1.2 billion against the approved allocation.
	We have already deployed an interim capability to Afghanistan. The first main deployable element of DII(F) now on contract will be available in 2009 to support our military forces wherever they are deployed, including Afghanistan and Iraq.

Departmental ICT

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which manufacturers' software is used in his Department.

Bob Ainsworth: Information on manufacturers' software is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HMS Illustrious

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of the last refit of HMS Illustrious.

Bob Ainsworth: The last refit for HMS Illustrious cost £118.6 million.

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the guidelines on the use of defence assets in addressing a national crisis, such as an influenza pandemic.

Bob Ainsworth: The guidance for the use of defence assets during civil crises is detailed in the military aid section of the recovery guidance on the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat resilience website at:
	http://www.ukresilience.info/response/recovery_guidance/generic_issues/military_aid.aspx
	which is available to all emergency planners.
	In summary, the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 mandates that category 1 responders (emergency services) and category 2 responders (e.g. utility companies) must develop contingency plans for civil crises. Apart from the niche capabilities guaranteed by Defence, the guidance states that armed forces are not to be included in the contingency plans, as it is not possible to define in advance what assets can be provided by Defence. MOD is none the less working with the CCS to define what further Defence capabilities are most likely to be required in the event of a major national crisis.

Iraq: Hercules Aircraft

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which recommendations of the Board of Enquiry into the crash of the Hercules XV179 in Iraq in January 2005 have been implemented.

Bob Ainsworth: Recommendations a to f, h to j and l of the XV179 Board of Inquiry have been implemented with work ongoing to implement recommendation k. The recommendations made by the board may be reviewed at the following web address:
	http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/11CE3621-6E6E-4599-9156-FF1DBF76B596/0/boi_raf_hercules.pdf

Iraq: Military Aircraft

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether the four Army Britten Norman Defender Aircraft have been withdrawn from service in Iraq;
	(2)  who has been operating the four Army Britten Norman Defender aircraft while they have been on service in Iraq.

Bob Ainsworth: The Army Britten Norman Defender Aircraft are operated by the Army Air Corps. They have not been withdrawn from service in Iraq.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 127-28W, on the Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft, what the in-service date is of each category.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor on 3 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1854W. The System Development and Demonstration phase is due to be completed in late 2013 and the other elements are dependent on when the in-service date is set.

Military Aircraft: Procurement

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what cost limit applies to the purchase of the  (a) Eurofighter Typhoon and  (b) Joint Strike Fighter aircraft; and how many of each he plans to buy.

Bob Ainsworth: The estimated cost of the Eurofighter Typhoon programme is commercially sensitive information which is protected in order to maintain our negotiating position for future acquisitions on the Typhoon programme. The UK has undertaken, through international MOU arrangements, to procure 232 Typhoon aircraft in three tranches. So far, the UK has contracted for the delivery of two tranches, comprising 144 aircraft. Decisions on tranche 3 will be taken in due course, in conjunction with our partner nations, once we have analysed and considered the relevant information.
	With regard to the cost of joint combat aircraft, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 974W, and 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1356W, noting that the procurement cost given includes development and non-recurring costs.

Military Attaches

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been undertaken to assess the impact on UK defence sales of the reduction in the number of defence attaché assigned to UK embassies and overseas missions.

Bob Ainsworth: The role of defence attachés is principally to promote the Government's policies in the area of international security co-operation and to give support to current or potential UK operational commitments. Therefore, most defence attachés spend a small proportion of time dealing with defence exports. There are separate staff employed in UK embassies to promote defence exports, where it is necessary. We do not expect an adverse impact on defence sales arising from the redeployment of defence attachés.

Nuclear Weapons

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the function is of the Warhead Pre-Concept Working Group in the nuclear weapons programme; and what the projected cost is of work carried out by this Working Group over the next three years.

Des Browne: The Warhead Pre-Concept Working Group was set up to co-ordinate research in support of the detailed review described in paragraph 7-4 of the December 2006 White Paper: "The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent" (Cmd 6994). This review will examine the optimum life of the UK's existing nuclear warhead stockpile and assess the range of replacement options that might be available to help inform decisions likely to be necessary in the next Parliament.
	The value of work being overseen by the WPCWG in 2007-08 amounts to some £10 million. Comparable levels of expenditure are projected for 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Opinion Leader Research

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts were awarded by his Department to Opinion Leader Research in each year since 1997; and what was  (a) the title and purpose,  (b) the cost to the public purse and  (c) the dates of (i) tender, (ii) award, (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: Opinion Leader has carried out research for Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers (SaBRE)—the MOD marketing and communications campaign that aims to gain and maintain the support of the employers of reservists. The research entitled "Opinion Leader Attitudes into Reserve Forces" was quantitative research to capture and track opinion leader attitudes and supportiveness towards volunteer reserves. It was carried out in four waves with summary findings provided to SaBRE on 22 December 2004, 11 July and 21 October 2005 and 2 June 2006. Turnaround for each wave from commission through to delivery was two months. The first wave cost was £1,800 with successive waves costing £1,900 each. These research contracts were awarded and paid for by the Central Office of Information (COI) on behalf of SaBRE. They were not tendered as COI rule it uneconomical to tender projects under £10,000.

Trident Missiles

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Trident D5 missiles are equipped with permissive action links.

Des Browne: No. Robust arrangements are in place for the political control of the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms exist for the monitoring of UK aid to Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: In Afghanistan, the Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board is the overarching body responsible for monitoring political and development progress. It was established to monitor the implementation of the Afghanistan compact and provide a forum to provide direction on major policy issues or blockages (e.g. problems with co-ordination or financing). It meets four times a year and is attended by heads of mission and chaired by the UN special representative and the Afghan President's senior economic adviser.
	In addition, various groups meet to co-ordinate international reconstruction and development work in Afghanistan:
	Eight consultative groups (sector level) and 22 working groups (line ministry level) all comprising Afghan Government and international community representatives, co-ordinate and monitor the implementation of the compact, contribute to budget formulation, and monitor aid effectiveness with their sector.
	The External Advisory Group meets every month and is a forum for donors to discuss progress on the Afghanistan national development strategy (ANDS). Chaired by DFID since August 2006, it is a tool for pushing the government on ANDS issues and preserving donor buy-in.
	The Policy Action Group was set up by General Richards and President Karzai as a short term response to security difficulties in the south. It is chaired by the Minister of Education Hanif Atmar and UN assistance mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). There are four pillars: security, information, reconstruction and development and international.
	World bank-led donor meetings are meetings of donors only, with no Government representation, to discuss Afghanistan national development strategy issues. These meetings are usually focused on economic issues.
	DFID, the FCO and the Multi-Departmental Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit use a series of internal reporting mechanisms for monitoring aid delivered to Afghanistan.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the office costs for his Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers.

Douglas Alexander: One civil servant currently supports the two special advisers in the Department for International Development (DFID); one additional civil servant is being recruited to support the special advisers from December 2007.
	Individual civil servants' salary details are not disclosed, to protect the privacy of those concerned.

Papua New Guinea: International Assistance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what development projects his Department has in Papua New Guinea; and what their budgets are for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Shahid Malik: DFID currently funds two development projects in Papua New Guinea (PNG) through the Civil Society Challenge Fund (CSCF). These projects focus on: (i) improving the sexual and reproductive health and gender equity status of the population and; (ii) strengthening the capacity of communities to improve education and income-generation opportunities. DFID's budget for the CSCF for PNG in 2007-08 is £343,235 and £316,010 for 2008-09. DFID also provides assistance to PNG indirectly through its contribution to the European development fund, international financial institutions and the global funds.

Somalia: Asylum

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of people displaced from Mogadishu following the latest violence between insurgents and the allied Ethiopian and government troops; and whether any changes are planned to the UK's humanitarian assistance for Somalia.

Shahid Malik: The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that 197,000 people have fled from Mogadishu since the start of October. The Department for International Development (DFID) continues to provide humanitarian assistance on the basis of need. DFID's regional humanitarian adviser has visited Somalia in the last month to assess the situation first hand, and we continue to keep an eye on the emerging situation. So far in 2007, the UK has provided £8.6 million in new commitments to humanitarian operations in Somalia.

Somalia: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether it is Government policy to support additional security options, including the deployment of a robust multinational force or coalition of the willing in Somalia, as suggested in the UN Secretary General's recent report (S/2007/658).

Gareth Thomas: The Government supports African Union and United Nations efforts to promote peace and security in Somalia. We have contributed financially to the current AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), most recently to facilitate the deployment of Burundian troops. We believe that AMISOM should be succeeded by an effective UN mission, provided that the conditions on the ground are right. UN Security Council Resolution 1772 requests that planning for a UN mission takes place and that the international community work to identify actions to create the conditions that would enable deployment to take place.

Sudan

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) annual income per household,  (b) global acute malnutrition rate,  (c) literacy rate and  (d) life expectancy in each state in Sudan.

Shahid Malik: As there has not been a household budget survey in Sudan since 1978, there are no up to date estimates of annual income per household. However, gross national product (GNP) per capita in 2006 was estimated to equal US$ 970. Given that the average household consists of six people, GNP per household can be estimated to be around US$ 5800.
	Global acute malnutrition rates in Sudan vary significantly by region, year and season and it is not easy to give an average rate for the whole country. Due to conflict and poor harvests, some areas of Sudan have global acute malnutrition rates well above the emergency threshold of 15 per cent. during the hungry season with, for example, parts of Darfur having rates among children under five of 30-40 per cent. Using an alternative measure of malnutrition, the 2006 household health survey revealed that 31 per cent. of all children under five in Sudan were moderately underweight, while 9.4 per cent. were severely underweight.
	In 2000, which is the latest year available, the literacy rate in Sudan was 61 per cent. For the whole of Sudan, average life expectancy at birth was 57 years in 2005. Figures per state are not available.

Sudan: Infant Mortality

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) neonatal,  (b) post-natal and  (c) infant mortality rates in each state in Sudan.

Shahid Malik: The following table provides information on neonatal, infant and under-five mortality rates in all the states of Sudan in 2006. Child mortality rates tend to be highest in the Three Area region (specifically South Kordofan and blue Nile) and Southern states, reflecting the poor coverage of maternal and other health care services in these states. Despite the conflict in Darfur, child mortality rates in Darfur states tend to be below the average in Sudan, although this is not the case for West Darfur. This is due to the extensive provision of healthcare services by humanitarian agencies. Post neo-natal and infant mortality rates are also higher for females than males.
	
		
			   Neonatal, infant and under-five mortality rates in the five years preceding the SHHS 
			  Background characteristics  Neonatal mortality rate( 1)  (per 1,000 live births)  Post neo-natal mortality rate( 2)  (per 1,000 live births)  Infant mortality rate( 3)  (per 1,000 live births)  Child mortality rate( 4) (per 1,000 live births)  Under-five mortality rate( 5)  (per 1,000 live births) 
			  Sex  
			 Male 41 37 78 30 106 
			 Female 41 43 84 38 119 
			  State  
			 Northern 35 22 57 13 70 
			 River Nile 40 29 69 24 91 
			 Red Sea 37 36 73 56 126 
			 Kassala 31 26 56 26 81 
			 Gadarif 43 43 86 55 137 
			 Khartoum 32 37 69 19 87 
			 Gezira 27 25 52 11 63 
			 Sinnar 32 30 62 39 99 
			 Blue Nile 48 52 99 88 178 
			 White Nile 34 23 57 35 89 
			 N. Kordofan 39 22 61 29 88 
			 S. Kordofan 48 50 98 54 147 
			 N. Darfur 34 35 69 28 95 
			 W. Darfur 42 51 93 50 138 
			 S. Darfur 28 39 67 33 98 
			 Jonglei 38 35 74 37 108 
			 Upper Nile 54 29 82 30 110 
			 Unity 30 34 64 20 82 
			 Warap 66 72 139 44 176 
			 NBG 67 62 129 41 165 
			 WBG 37 60 97 41 134 
			 Lakes 49 40 90 27 114 
			 W. Equatoria 69 82 151 49 192 
			 C. Equatoria 56 51 107 39 141 
			 E. Equatoria 40 43 83 38 118 
			 Sudan 41 40 81 34 112 
			  Mother's education  
			 None 43 43 86 39 121 
			 Primary 37 37 74 24 96 
			 Secondary+ 41 20 61 30 89 
			  Wealth index quintiles  
			 Poorest 45 49 95 38 129 
			 Second 44 39 84 41 121 
			 Middle 40 42 81 38 116 
			 Fourth 38 32 70 26 94 
			 Richest 31 33 65 20 84 
			 (1) SHHS indicator 1: Neonatal mortality rate (probability of infants dying during the first 28 completed days of life, per 1000 live births (2) SHHS indicator 2: Post neo-natal mortality rate (probability of infants dying between one month and exactly one year of age, per 1,000 live births) (3) SHHS indicator 3: Infant mortality rate (probability of dying between birth and exactly one year of age, per 1,000 live births); MDG indicator 14 (4) SHHS indicator 4: Child mortality rate (probability of dying between the first and fifth birth days, per 1,000 live births) (5) SHHS indicator 5: Under-five mortality rate (probability of dying between birth and exactly five years of age, per 1,000 live births); MDG indicator 13  NBG = Northern Bahr El Ghazal, WBG = Western Bahr El Ghazal  Source:  2006 Sudan Household Health Survey

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006: Prosecutions

James Brokenshire: To ask the Solicitor-General how many people have been charged with offences under the Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006.

Vera Baird: The records held by the CPS provide no information on the number of defendants charged or prosecuted for specific offences. However, the CPS does identify by act and section the number of offences which reached a first hearing in the magistrates courts.
	These records show that, as of November 2007, two offences under sections 2 and 4 of the Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006 had reached a first hearing; one was prosecuted by CPS West Mercia and the other by CPS Gloucestershire.

National Fraud Reporting Centre

James Brokenshire: To ask the Solicitor-General 
	(1)  when she expects the proposed national fraud reporting centre to become operational;
	(2)  what the  (a) establishment and  (b) annual running costs of the proposed national fraud reporting centre are expected to be.

Vera Baird: The comprehensive spending review announced new investment of over £28 million from HM Government for 2008 to 2011 in the UK's fight against fraud. Part of this new investment has been earmarked for the establishment of the national fraud reporting centre, which is expected to become operational early in 2009.
	Establishment and running costs remain confidential at present under the terms of HM Treasury's settlement letter and due to the commercially sensitive nature of the detailed development work that is now under way towards making the national fraud reporting centre a reality.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children in Care

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children from each local authority area were looked after by another local authority in  (a) local authority children's homes,  (b) private children's homes,  (c) foster care,  (d) hostels and  (e) under other arrangements;
	(2)  how many children aged  (a) 0 to five years,  (b) six to 10 years and  (c) 11 to 16 years old from each local authority area were looked after outside their local authority area in (i) local authority children's homes, (ii) private children's homes, (iii) foster care, (iv) hostels and (v) under other arrangements in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 20 November 2007
	The information is not readily available. I will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and will place a copy of my response in the Library.

Departmental Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of expenditure by his Department and its predecessor on all forms of consultancy for each  (a) year and  (b) quarter from 31 March 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Historical figures are not available for DCSF and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Figures for the Department for Education and Skills show that it spent the following sums from administration costs on consultancy from 1997:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 3.9 
			 1998-99 5.0 
			 1999-2000 3.7 
			 2000-01 4.3 
			 2001-02 5.0 
			 2002-03 4.0 
			 2003-04 4.7 
			 2004-05 3.9 
			 2005-06 3.5 
			 2006-07 4.1 
		
	
	The costs of consultancy charged to programmes budgets before November 2004 were not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The total cost of consultancy charged to programmes from November to March 2004-05 was £4.4 million and for the whole of 2005-06 was £18 million. A further £9.5 million in November to March 2004-05 and £8 million in 2005-06 was spent on other external expert advisers on education and children's matters to assist with policy implementation and delivery. The total cost of consultancy charged to programmes for 2006-07 was £41 million with a further £14 million spent on other external expert advisers.
	Quarterly information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what entertainment or hospitality members of his Department's management board have received in each of the last three financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Paragraph 4.3.5 of the Civil Service-Management Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality. The Government are committed to publishing an annual list of hospitality received by members of departmental boards. The first list for 2007 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current calendar year.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 794W, to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws).

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Fallow Initiative

Frank Doran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many fallow fields there are in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean in which there has been no development over the last 10 years; and which company currently holds the licence to develop in each case.

Malcolm Wicks: There are 258 discovered fields undeveloped for 10 years or more. Of these:
	25 are unlicensed and will be offered in the next licensing round;
	84 have been awarded in recent licensing rounds since 2002, of which 58 are on traditional licences, and 26 are on promote licences (where there is no formal operator);
	8 have development plans pending approval;
	26 have seen seismic activity or appraisal drilling within the past three years;
	59 are the subject of significant activity such as seismic reprocessing;
	13 currently have technical obstacles to overcome, such as lack of capacity or lack of infrastructure, which are being addressed;
	43 have no activity planned and are due to be surrendered for re-licensing within two years if no plan for development is presented. aforementioned
	The following table covers all of the aforementioned discoveries and shows operators where applicable.
	
		
			  Discovery well number  Operator 
			 210/29a-3 Promote Licence 
			 3/11-1 Unlicensed 
			 211/11-1 Promote Licence 
			 13/22b-4 Unlicensed 
			 48/22-1 Unlicensed 
			 48/22-4 Promote Licence 
			 20/08-2 Unlicensed 
			 16/06b-6 Unlicensed 
			 48/02b-3 Unlicensed 
			 210/25c-6A Promote Licence 
			 21/29b-9 Unlicensed 
			 42/15a-2 Unlicensed 
			 50/26b-6 Unlicensed 
			 3/08c-12 Unlicensed 
			 48/02-1 Promote Licence 
			 29/08a-4 Unlicensed 
			 43/13a-l Promote Licence 
			 43/20-1 Promote Licence 
			 30/29a-l Promote Licence 
			 42/15b-l Unlicensed 
			 42/10b-2Z Unlicensed 
			 43/17-2 Unlicensed 
			 42/22-1 Promote Licence 
			 43/18-1 Promote Licence 
			 21/29b-4 Unlicensed 
			 22/28b-2 Unlicensed 
			 39/16-1 Promote Licence 
			 43/23-1 Promote Licence 
			 48/24b-2 Unlicensed 
			 47/09b-4 Promote Licence 
			 9/12-3 Promote Licence 
			 3/08b-10 Unlicensed 
			 15/07-1 Promote Licence 
			 15/21-2 Promote Licence 
			 49/02-3 Promote Licence 
			 16/03a-4 Promote Licence 
			 15/26-1 Unlicensed 
			 41/25a-l Promote Licence 
			 41/20-2 Promote Licence 
			 9/21-2 Promote Licence 
			 9/12b-6 Promote Licence 
			 14/26b-4 Unlicensed 
			 49/22-16 Promote Licence 
			 14/26b-5 Unlicensed 
			 110/04-1 Promote Licence 
			 15/21b-45 Promote Licence 
			 41/24a-1 Promote Licence 
			 15/26a-2 Unlicensed 
			 21/28a-2 Antrim Resources 
			 211/22a-3 Antrim Resources 
			 21/28a-6 Antrim Resources 
			 16/29-4 Apache Corporation 
			 2/15-1 ATP Oil and Gas Corporation 
			 2/15a-9 ATP Oil and Gas Corporation 
			 2/10a-6 ATP Oil and Gas Corporation 
			 3/11b-4Z ATP Oil and Gas Corporation 
			 13/30-2 BG International 
			 30/08-2 BG International 
			 22/08a-2 BG International 
			 110/13-17 BHP Billiton Petroleum 
			 16/23-2 BP Exploration 
			 204/19-6 BP Exploration 
			 206/11-1 BP Exploration 
			 9/23b-21 BP Exploration 
			 9/24b-1A BP Exploration 
			 16/22-2 BP Exploration 
			 30/01c-3 BP Exploration 
			 47/03e-9 BP Exploration 
			 98/11-2 BP Exploration 
			 211/07a-2 BP Exploration 
			 98/07-2 BP Exploration 
			 47/03e-8 BP Exploration 
			 204/19-8Z BP Exploration 
			 48/21-1 Bridge E&P Corporation 
			 11/24-1 Caithness Petroleum 
			 48/08a-1 Centrica Resources 
			 110/08a-5 Centrica Resources 
			 49/09a-5 Centrica Resources 
			 113/27-2 Centrica Resources 
			 49/09-1 Centrica Resources 
			 48/07c-11 Centrica Resources 
			 9/23b-19 Century Exploration 
			 48/25a-4 Century Exploration 
			 48/24a-1 Century Exploration 
			 110/14-1 Challenger Minerals 
			 15/29a-9 Chevron Corporation 
			 207/01-3 Chevron Corporation 
			 9/11-2 Chevron Corporation 
			 9/11b-11 Chevron Corporation 
			 3/28a-2 Chevron Corporation 
			 206/02-1 Chevron Corporation 
			 15/29a-3 Chevron Corporation 
			 29/02a-2 CNR International 
			 22/27a-2 CNR International 
			 3/07-3 CNR International 
			 211/28-1A CNR International 
			 3/03-8 CNR International 
			 110/08a-4 Conocophillips (U.K.) 
			 30/07a-10 Conocophillips (U.K.) 
			 15/30-2 Conocophillips (U.K.) 
			 110/02b-10 Conocophillips (U.K.) 
			 110/02b-11 Conocophillips (U.K.) 
			 30/13-3 Conocophillips (U.K.) 
			 110/14-2 Conocophillips (U.K.) 
			 42/29-6 Dana Petroleum plc. 
			 211/22-1 Dana Petroleum plc. 
			 210/24a-8 Dana Petroleum plc. 
			 42/29-7 Dana Petroleum plc. 
			 23/16d-6 Dana Petroleum plc. 
			 211/13-1 Dana Petroleum plc. 
			 211/08a-2 Dana Petroleum plc. 
			 21/17-4 Dana Petroleum plc. 
			 21/17-3 Dana Petroleum plc. 
			 214/30-1 Dansk Olie OG Naturgas A/S 
			 43/27-2 E.On Ruhrgas UK North Sea 
			 48/02-2 E.On Ruhrgas UK North Sea 
			 44/22c-9 E.On Ruhrgas UK North Sea 
			 113/28-2 Eclipse Energy Company 
			 113/29-2 Eclipse Energy Company 
			 43/08-1 Encore Petroleum Ltd. 
			 30/25a-4 Endeavour International 
			 12/27a-3 Endeavour International 
			 12/27-1 Endeavour International 
			 16/18-1 ENI UK Ltd. 
			 16/23-4 ENI UK Ltd. 
			 110/12a-1 Eog Resources Inc. 
			 9/18a-15 Exxonmobil International 
			 48/18a-4 Exxonmobil International 
			 9/19-3 Exxonmobil International 
			 9/19-4 Exxonmobil International 
			 48/18c-5 Exxonmobil International 
			 206/10a-1 Faroe Petroleum plc. 
			 44/13-1 Gaz De France 
			 44/27-1 Gaz De France 
			 44/12-1 Gaz De France 
			 44/29b-4 Gaz De France 
			 44/16-1Z Gaz De France 
			 22/24b-8 Gaz De France 
			 16/08c-13 Genesis Petroleum Europe 
			 53/01-3 Helix Energy Solutions 
			 53/01a-13 Helix Energy Solutions 
			 47/02-1 Hess Ltd. 
			 204/28-1 Hurricane Exploration 
			 12/21-2 Ithaca Energy Inc. 
			 14/18b-7 Ithaca Energy Inc. 
			 14/18-1 Ithaca Energy Inc. 
			 14/18b-12 Ithaca Energy Inc. 
			 205/26a-4 Lundin Petroleum BV 
			 21/13b-lA Lundin Petroleum BV 
			 211/28a-7 Lundin Petroleum BV 
			 9/10b-1 Lundin Petroleum BV 
			 9/15a-l Lundin Petroleum BV 
			 2/05-10 Lundin Petroleum BV 
			 30/02-1 Maersk Oil (UK) 
			 30/14-1 Maersk Oil (UK) 
			 4/26-1A Maersk Oil (UK) 
			 22/27a-l Maersk Oil (UK) 
			 15/20b-11 Maersk Oil (UK) 
			 16/21d-31 Maersk Oil (UK) 
			 103/01-1 Marathon Oil UK Ltd. 
			 9/02-1 Masefield Energy Holdings 
			 15/13-2 National Iranian Oil Co. 
			 15/21b-47 Nexen Petroleum 
			 15/21b-50 Nexen Petroleum 
			 15/19-4 Nexen Petroleum 
			 15/19-6 Nexen Petroleum 
			 20/03-4 Nexen Petroleum 
			 15/21a-7 Nexen Petroleum 
			 21/02-1 Nexen Petroleum 
			 21/02-2 Nexen Petroleum 
			 21/15a-2 Nexen Petroleum 
			 15/21a-51 Nexen Petroleum 
			 15/21a-38Z Nexen Petroleum 
			 15/23d-13 Nexen Petroleum 
			 15/21a-46 Nexen Petroleum 
			 22/22b-2 Nexen Petroleum 
			 15/24a-4 Nippon Oil Corporation 
			 21/20b-4 Noble Energy Europe 
			 22/02-2 Oilexco Incorporated 
			 22/14b-3 Oilexco Incorporated 
			 49/18-5Z Perenco plc. 
			 21/30-12 Perenco plc. 
			 49/28-2 Perenco plc. 
			 21/30-17 Perenco plc. 
			 48/17b-3 Perenco plc. 
			 48/11a-12 Perenco plc. 
			 44/18a-5 Perenco plc. 
			 12/21-3 Petro-Canada UK Holdings 
			 15/18a-6 Petro-Canada UK Holdings 
			 21/24-1 Petro-Canada UK Holdings 
			 211/18-9 Petrofac Ltd. 
			 29/07-1 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 22/13a-2 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 211/23-6 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 22/23b-5 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 22/29-2 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 22/30a-16 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 22/13a-1 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 29/05a-1 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 23/16b-1 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 211/21-11 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 29/09a-1 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 29/10-4 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 29/10-2 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 30/06-3Z Royal Dutch Shell 
			 48/19a-3 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 29/03-1 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 211/23b-11 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 13/21a-lA Royal Dutch Shell 
			 211/23b-12 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 21/20a-5 Royal Dutch Shell 
			 49/01-3 RWE DEA UK Holdings 
			 43/20b-2 RWE DEA UK Holdings 
			 14/15-2 Serica Energy 
			 23/16a-2 Serica Energy 
			 48/20b-6 Silverstone SNS Ltd. 
			 48/25b-5 Silverstone SNS Ltd. 
			 42/13-2 Sterling Resources 
			 16/03a-11 Stratic Energy 
			 16/02b-4 Stratic Energy 
			 30/13-2 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 16/22-5 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 30/13-1 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 15/17-24 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 16/13a-2Z Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 16/22-1 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 15/17-25 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 22/18-3 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 22/19-1 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 14/14-1 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 15/17-8A Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 14/20-6Z Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 15/17-26 Talisman Energy Inc. 
			 3/30-3 Total E&P UK plc. 
			 3/30a-4 Total E&P UK plc. 
			 3/10b-1 Total E&P UK plc. 
			 3/09a-11 Total E&P UK plc. 
			 3/04-7 Total E&P UK plc. 
			 206/01-2 Total E&P UK plc. 
			 3/09a-8 Total E&P UK plc. 
			 44/28d-5 Tullow UK 
			 44/28-3 Tullow UK 
			 49/03-3 Tullow UK 
			 28/02-1 Venture Production 
			 30/11b-4 Venture Production 
			 49/10b-3 Venture Production 
			 48/14-2 Venture Production 
			 30/11b-3 Venture Production 
			 29/09b-2 Venture Production 
			 29/08a-3 Venture Production 
			 29/06a-3 Venture Production 
			 43/16-2 Venture Production 
			 22/22c-3Z Venture Production 
			 21/27-1A Venture Production 
			 21/19-1A Venture Production 
			 29/08b-2 Venture Production 
			 44/19-3 Wintershall B.V. 
			 9/03-1 Xcite Energy

HM Revenue and Customs: Legal Profession

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which  (a) lawyers and  (b) legal firms have been given work by HM Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office since 1 January 2005; and what the cost was of such contracts, broken down by (i) lawyer and (ii) firm.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office employed 1,738 counsel from the Attorney-General's approved list between 1 January 2005 and 30 September 2007 at a total cost of £32.0 million.
	In the same period the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office also employed the services of 23 legal firms at a total cost of £446,000.
	A schedule of total payments to each individual and firm has been placed in the Library.

Post Offices: Closures

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the net savings to Post Office Ltd of the closure of  (a) the St. Leonards Green Post Office,  (b) the White Rock Post Office in St. Leonards,  (c) the Hastings Old Town Post Office and  (d) the Tilling Green Post Office in Rye.

Patrick McFadden: The development of proposals for specific post office closures is a matter for Post Office Ltd. with input from Postwatch, local authorities and subpostmasters. The consultation period for the Sussex area plan covering Hastings and Rye constituency closes on 24 December. Final decisions on which post offices will close will be taken by Post Office Ltd. in light of the responses received to the area consultations.

Post Offices: Closures

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the remaining post offices can accommodate greater numbers of customers as part of the Post Office closure programme.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Offices: Closures

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government are taking to ensure the Post Office takes into account local factors such as public transport access before closing a post office.

Patrick McFadden: In formulating its area plans, Post Office Ltd. is required to consider the availability of public transport and alternative access to key post office services, local demographics and the impact on the local economy.

Postal Services

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to his oral answer of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1328, on postal services, what precedents there are for consultations to be suspended in advance of local elections.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 27 November 2007
	Cabinet Office guidelines clearly state that consultations, and decisions relating to them, should not be launched in an election period. Successive Administrations of both parties have observed these arrangements for many years.

Trade Unions: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether trades union members who opt out of the union's political fund are charged the cost of the political fund contribution when they pay their union subscription.

Patrick McFadden: Where trade union members opt out of contributing to their union's political fund, the union must ensure they do not make payments into the political fund via a separate political levy or via other subscription payments to the union. It is also unlawful for a union to penalise individuals who opt out by excluding them from any benefit, or by directly or indirectly placing them at a disability or disadvantage (except in relation to the control or management of the political fund).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) genetically modified animals and  (b) animals with a harmful genetic defect were used in regulated procedures conducted in Scotland under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2006.

Meg Hillier: Comprehensive statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain carried out under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are published annually. Copies of the publication for 2006 (Cm 7153) can be found in the House Library.
	The data are not collected, stored or presented in a way enabling them to be easily broken down between England, Wales and Scotland as the 1986 Act is administered by the Home Office for the whole of Great Britain (it is administered separately in Northern Ireland). However, a special exercise has been undertaken to extract the information requested in relation to Scotland.
	During 2006 there were 127,253 genetically modified animals and 11,643 animals with a harmful genetic defect used in regulated procedures conducted in Scotland under the 1986 Act.

Animal Experiments: Primates

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will publish the records of discussions within her Department which took place on the grant of a project licence to Professor Tipu Aziz permitting him to conduct scientific procedures on the primate Felix;
	(2)  whether the Animal Procedures Committee in granting a licence for experiments on Felix the primate took into account the extent to which those experiments had been  (a) documented in scientific literature and  (b) previously conducted on (i) non human primates and (ii) human patients.

Meg Hillier: I have no plans to disclose the records of discussions relating to applications for project licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Any such records may include information provided in confidence the disclosure of which, other than in the discharge of functions under the Act, is prohibited by section 24 of the same Act.
	Under section 20(2) of the 1986 Act, when considering any matter, the Animal Procedures Committee must have regard to the legitimate requirements of science and industry and to the protection of animals against avoidable suffering and unnecessary use in scientific procedures. I am confident that the Committee's advice on individual project licence applications takes full account of all relevant factors in line with this requirement.

Police

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average  (a) length of service and  (b) retirement age was for police constables in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The information requested cannot be calculated from the centrally collected data within the police personnel statistics series.
	 (b) Retirement age cannot be separately identified from the available data. The available data are the age on leaving the service within the following time bands only: 25 and under, 26 to 40, 41 to 55 and over 55.

Police Custody: Wales

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average occupancy rate was of police custody suites in  (a) Wales,  (b) Dyfed-Powys police area and  (c) Pembrokeshire in (i) 2006 and (ii) since 1 January 2007;
	(2)  what the capacity is of police custody units in  (a) Wales,  (b) Dyfed-Powys police area and  (c) Pembrokeshire.

Tony McNulty: The provision and operation of, and collation of information in respect of, police custody accommodation are matters for chief constables and police authorities.

Police Patrolling

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average proportion of a police officer's day spent on patrol in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: Data on time spent on patrol only offers a partial indication of policing activity. Information on time spent on front-line duties by police officers has only been collected since 2003-04. Year by year information is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Time spent on patrol 2004 to 2007 
			   Percentage time spent on front-line duties 
			 2003-04 62.1 
			 2004-05 62.6 
			 2005-06 63.1 
			 2006-07 64.2

Police: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are employed in West Chelmsford constituency; and what proportion of their time is spent on street patrols.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 26 November 2007
	Figures collected by the Home Office show numbers of officers deployed to each Basic Command Unit (BCU) in Essex. The closest BCU to the West Chelmsford constituency is Essex Central. The figures show that on 31 March 2007, the latest published period, there were 506 officers in Essex Central BCU. This figure excludes police community support officers and police staff, and also excludes officers and staff in Central Services, which covers the police HQ in Chelmsford.
	The Home Office estimates time spent on patrol, but these figures are not collected or estimated below police force area level.

Police: Injuries

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of police officers were off work for longer than a week as a result of injuries sustained while on duty in each police force in England in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The available data are for long-term absences due to an assault which occurred within the realms of duty. Long-term absences are those which have lasted for more than 28 calendar days, and assaults include those incidents where there was no injury to the officer. The data are collected "as at" a particular date rather than throughout the course of the year, therefore the data provided are for the number of officers on sick absence as at 31 March 2007.
	
		
			  Number (FTE)( 1)  and percentage( 2)  of police officers in England on long-term certified sickness absence due to an assault( 3)  as at 31 March 2007 
			 Police force  Number of police officers on certified sickness due to assault  Percentage of police officers on certified sickness due to assault 
			 Avon and Somerset 0.00 0.00 
			 Bedfordshire 0.00 0.00 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.00 0.00 
			 Cheshire 0.00 0.00 
			 Cleveland 0.00 0.00 
			 Cumbria 0.00 0.00 
			 Derbyshire 1.00 0.05 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1.00 0.03 
			 Dorset 0.00 0.00 
			 Durham 0.00 0.00 
			 Essex 0.00 0.00 
			 Gloucestershire 1.00 0.08 
			 Greater Manchester 1.00 0.01 
			 Hampshire 0.00 0.00 
			 Hertfordshire 0.00 0.00 
			 Humberside 0.00 0.00 
			 Kent 0.00 0.00 
			 Lancashire 0.00 0.00 
			 Leicestershire 0.00 0.00 
			 Lincolnshire 0.00 0.00 
			 London, City of 0.00 0.00 
			 Merseyside 1.00 0.02 
			 Metropolitan Police 6.00 0.02 
			 Norfolk 0.00 0.00 
			 Northamptonshire 0.00 0.00 
			 Northumbria 2.00 0.05 
			 North Yorkshire 3.00 0.18 
			 Nottinghamshire 1.00 0.04 
			 South Yorkshire 0.00 0.00 
			 Staffordshire 0.00 0.00 
			 Suffolk 1.00 0.07 
			 Surrey 0.00 0.00 
			 Sussex 0.00 0.00 
			 Thames Valley 0.00 0.00 
			 Warwickshire 0.00 0.00 
			 West Mercia 1.00 0.04 
			 West Midlands 1.52 0.02 
			 West Yorkshire 0.00 0.00 
			 Wiltshire 0.00 0.00 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent figures. (2) Officers absent as a percentage of the total police officer strength. (3) Certified long-term sickness (over 28 calendar days) due to an assault occurring within the realms of duty. Assaults include those incidents where no injury was caused.

Police: Resignations

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of police officers in each police force area left the police force within two years of joining in each of the last 10 years.

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police recruits left the police force within two years of joining since 1997, broken down by police force area; and what percentage of leavers that figure represents.

Tony McNulty: Data are available from 2002-03 onwards and are given in the following tables. The number of transfers between forces has been separately identified as these officers, while leaving individual police forces, have not left the police service itself.
	
		
			  N umber of police officers leaving the force with less than two years service and the percentage of total police officer leavers that this figure represents from 2002-03 to 2006-07( 1) 
			   2002-03 
			  Police force area  Number of transfers (included as part of overall officers leaving the service)  Number of police officers leaving the force with less than two years service  Percentage of police officers leaving with less than two years service 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 39 19 
			 Bedfordshire 0 17 18 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 17 16 
			 Cheshire 0 6 5 
			 Cleveland 0 2 3 
			 Cumbria 0 5 8 
			 Derbyshire 0 7 6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 20 13 
			 Dorset 0 13 19 
			 Durham — 6 8 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1 6 11 
			 Essex 4 23 11 
			 Gloucestershire 0 13 16 
			 Greater Manchester 2 56 15 
			 Gwent 0 2 3 
			 Hampshire 3 29 13 
			 Hertfordshire 3 33 17 
			 Humberside — 17 16 
			 Kent 5 43 20 
			 Lancashire(2) — — — 
			 Leicestershire(3) 1 9 7 
			 Lincolnshire 5 15 21 
			 London, City of 0 11 19 
			 Merseyside 1 10 5 
			 Metropolitan Police 16 410 24 
			 Norfolk 0 12 13 
			 Northamptonshire 0 8 14 
			 Northumbria 0 20 12 
			 North Wales 1 9 12 
			 North Yorkshire — 8 14 
			 Nottinghamshire — 8 6 
			 South Wales 1 25 16 
			 South Yorkshire 1 24 14 
			 Staffordshire — 12 9 
			 Suffolk 1 12 14 
			 Surrey 20 53 21 
			 Sussex 2 47 19 
			 Thames valley 13 53 14 
			 Warwickshire 0 12 21 
			 West Mercia 1 13 11 
			 West Midlands 4 88 17 
			 West Yorkshire 1 30 12 
			 Wiltshire 0 10 12 
			 Total(4) 96 1,244 16 
		
	
	
		
			   2003-04 
			  Police force area  Number of transfers (included as part of overall officers leaving the service)  Number of police officers leaving the force with less than two years service  Percentage of police officers leaving with less than two years service 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 33 23 
			 Bedfordshire 1 22 21 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 10 11 
			 Cheshire 2 12 11 
			 Cleveland 0 9 11 
			 Cumbria 0 3 6 
			 Derbyshire 0 13 15 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 10 8 
			 Dorset 1 15 20 
			 Durham 3 11 14 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 5 13 
			 Essex 4 19 9 
			 Gloucestershire 1 10 18 
			 Greater Manchester 0 65 20 
			 Gwent 0 3 4 
			 Hampshire 3 48 21 
			 Hertfordshire 3 43 27 
			 Humberside 4 22 23 
			 Kent 1 45 20 
			 Lancashire(2) 0 18 14 
			 Leicestershire(3) 0 16 19 
			 Lincolnshire 0 7 11 
			 London, City of 0 5 9 
			 Merseyside 0 14 8 
			 Metropolitan Police 11 394 25 
			 Norfolk 0 6 12 
			 Northamptonshire 1 7 10 
			 Northumbria 0 20 11 
			 North Wales — 7 12 
			 North Yorkshire 0 7 9 
			 Nottinghamshire 6 14 11 
			 South Wales 4 11 7 
			 South Yorkshire 3 23 14 
			 Staffordshire 0 12 12 
			 Suffolk 1 20 27 
			 Surrey 11 40 27 
			 Sussex 1 87 30 
			 Thames valley 5 37 12 
			 Warwickshire 0 7 13 
			 West Mercia 1 22 18 
			 West Midlands 0 7 2 
			 West Yorkshire 1 32 13 
			 Wiltshire 3 14 21 
			 Total(4) 71 1,191 17 
		
	
	
		
			   2004-05 
			  Police force area  Number of transfers (included as part of overall officers leaving the service)  Number of police officers leaving the force with less than two years service  Percentage of police officers leaving with less than two years service 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 30 17 
			 Bedfordshire 0 30 31 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 12 12 
			 Cheshire 1 17 16 
			 Cleveland 1 14 17 
			 Cumbria 0 8 18 
			 Derbyshire 1 6 6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 18 10 
			 Dorset 0 13 16 
			 Durham 4 17 21 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 10 16 
			 Essex 0 34 15 
			 Gloucestershire 0 11 19 
			 Greater Manchester 1 55 15 
			 Gwent 0 4 5 
			 Hampshire 3 37 14 
			 Hertfordshire 1 38 24 
			 Humberside 1 12 11 
			 Kent 0 27 13 
			 Lancashire(2) 1 21 13 
			 Leicestershire(3) — — — 
			 Lincolnshire 3 14 18 
			 London, City of 0 6 10 
			 Merseyside 3 22 10 
			 Metropolitan Police 3 214 16 
			 Norfolk 0 7 9 
			 Northamptonshire 0 5 5 
			 Northumbria 1 20 12 
			 North Wales 0 10 19 
			 North Yorkshire 0 13 15 
			 Nottinghamshire 4 15 10 
			 South Wales 0 11 8 
			 South Yorkshire 0 30 17 
			 Staffordshire 0 34 27 
			 Suffolk 3 16 22 
			 Surrey 11 30 19 
			 Sussex 3 84 32 
			 Thames valley 1 62 20 
			 Warwickshire 0 3 5 
			 West Mercia 2 13 11 
			 West Midlands 4 72 16 
			 West Yorkshire 3 40 15 
			 Wiltshire 0 11 14 
			 Total(4) 55 1,125 16 
		
	
	
		
			   2005-06 
			  Police force area  Number of transfers (included as part of overall officers leaving the service)  Number of police officers leaving the force with less than two years service  Percentage of police officers leaving with less than two years service 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 15 8 
			 Bedfordshire 0 16 18 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 12 11 
			 Cheshire 0 8 4 
			 Cleveland 1 8 8 
			 Cumbria 0 5 7 
			 Derbyshire 0 4 3 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 24 12 
			 Dorset 0 15 14 
			 Durham 4 16 16 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 4 5 
			 Essex 1 39 15 
			 Gloucestershire 0 4 4 
			 Greater Manchester 0 43 9 
			 Gwent 0 12 15 
			 Hampshire 0 32 11 
			 Hertfordshire 1 31 18 
			 Humberside 2 20 13 
			 Kent 3 23 8 
			 Lancashire(2) 0 13 6 
			 Leicestershire(3) 0 19 12 
			 Lincolnshire 3 14 15 
			 London, City of 0 3 4 
			 Merseyside 1 19 7 
			 Metropolitan Police 0 95 6 
			 Norfolk 0 11 12 
			 Northamptonshire 0 10 11 
			 Northumbria 0 13 6 
			 North Wales 0 6 6 
			 North Yorkshire 1 3 3 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 4 3 
			 South Wales 0 13 7 
			 South Yorkshire 0 21 9 
			 Staffordshire 0 12 11 
			 Suffolk 0 10 11 
			 Surrey 4 22 15 
			 Sussex 1 49 22 
			 Thames valley 1 41 12 
			 Warwickshire 0 5 7 
			 West Mercia 0 9 6 
			 West Midlands 9 63 13 
			 West Yorkshire 1 63 17 
			 Wiltshire 0 12 16 
			 Total(4) 36 829 10 
		
	
	
		
			   2006-07 
			  Police force area  Number of transfers (included as part of overall officers leaving the service)  Number of police officers leaving the force with less than two years service  Percentage of police officers leaving with less than two years service 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 10 6 
			 Bedfordshire 1 12 21 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 12 13 
			 Cheshire 0 16 14 
			 Cleveland 1 16 21 
			 Cumbria 0 7 14 
			 Derbyshire 0 9 6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 20 15 
			 Dorset 0 15 14 
			 Durham 0 8 13 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 3 6 
			 Essex 0 42 15 
			 Gloucestershire 1 4 5 
			 Greater Manchester 0 20 4 
			 Gwent 0 8 12 
			 Hampshire 0 22 10 
			 Hertfordshire 0 28 16 
			 Humberside 1 16 13 
			 Kent 0 14 6 
			 Lancashire(2) 0 15 9 
			 Leicestershire(3) 1 8 6 
			 Lincolnshire 1 7 9 
			 London, City of 0 2 3 
			 Merseyside 0 33 13 
			 Metropolitan Police 5 81 5 
			 Norfolk 0 12 12 
			 Northamptonshire 3 13 13 
			 Northumbria 0 13 7 
			 North Wales 0 8 9 
			 North Yorkshire 5 17 17 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 6 4 
			 South Wales 1 10 5 
			 South Yorkshire 2 25 13 
			 Staffordshire 0 12 10 
			 Suffolk 0 3 6 
			 Surrey 6 51 27 
			 Sussex 0 37 17 
			 Thames valley 1 29 10 
			 Warwickshire 1 7 9 
			 West Mercia 0 12 8 
			 West Midlands 5 50 10 
			 West Yorkshire 5 44 13 
			 Wiltshire 2 6 10 
			 Total(4) 44 760 10 
			 (1) Leaving figures include police officers leaving the force within two years of joining or re-joining the service, due to dismissals (including requirement to resign), voluntary resignations, medical retirements, ordinary retirements, all transfers and all deaths. (2) Data for Lancashire was not available in 2002-03. (3) Data for Leicestershire was not available in 2004-05. (4) In order to compare data between 2002-03 and 2006-07 Lancashire and Leicestershire have been excluded from the total.

JUSTICE

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many penalty notices for disorder were issued in the first six months of 2007, broken down by  (a) police force area and  (b) offences committed; and how many such penalty notices for disorder were (i) paid in full within the 21 day suspended enforcement period, (ii) paid in full outside the 21 day suspended enforcement period, (iii) registered as fines, (iv) contested in court and (v) cancelled.

Maria Eagle: Finalised data for the whole of 2006 covering the breakdowns requested will be available shortly. I will send the hon. Member a copy when it is available.
	Data for 2007 will be available in 2008.

Chemical and Insulating Company Ltd

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government plans to take in response to the judgment of the House of Lords in Rothwell  v. Chemical and Insulating Company Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the right hon. Member to my reply on both 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 141W, and 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 798W.

Closed Circuit Television

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidelines there are on minimum pixel density of closed circuit television material used in courts.

Maria Eagle: There are no guidelines on the minimum pixel density of closed circuit television (CCTV) used in courts. CCTV is used to cover both internal and external areas of courts; the coverage provided varies according to the work of the court and its status. Coverage has evolved over time with a variety of systems and types of cameras being used.
	Guidance to courts on the use of CCTV has been revised and the new version will be issued shortly and stresses the need for any system to deliver recognition (of persons and objects) and notes that developments in technology may bring changes in the types of equipment used.
	Advice on the use of CCTV is part of the policy document, Safe and Secure, which sets out guidance and practice on security issues for HMCS; this is revised annually and, as a Restricted document, is not available to the general public.

Courts: Interpreters

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the Courts Service spent on translation and interpretation services in Cambridgeshire in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost through the manual searching of individual court files. Her Majesty's Courts Service is giving consideration to the routine collection of data relating to interpreting and translation services used in court.

Courts: Salisbury

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the latest estimate is of the cost of the new courts centre in Salisbury.

Maria Eagle: The new court centre in Salisbury is being procured via a private developer scheme whereby Her Majesty's Court Service will be taking on a lease for 30 years at an agreed rent which is in line with the market rate for this area of England. The construction value, as published in the OJEU award notice, was estimated at £14,236,706 excl VAT.

Custodial Treatment: Methamphetamine

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted for  (a) possession of the drug crystal meth and  (b) possession with intent to supply that drug in each of the last six months; how many have been convicted; and how many received a custodial sentence.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of persons given prosecutions, convictions and custodial sentences received for possession or possession with intent to supply amphetamines or class B drugs in England and Wales for 2005, the latest year for which data are available, can be viewed in the following table.
	Prior to its reclassification to a class A drug on 18 January 2007, Methylamphetamine ("crystal meth") was a class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
	Data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced at all courts for immediate custody for offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(2) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 157, Sch 8, Part II. and Sec 5(3), in England and Wales for the year 2005( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Statute  Offence description  Prosecuted  Guilty  Immediate custody 
			 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(2) (Class 'B' Drug) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 157, Sch 8, Part II. Having possession of a controlled drug: Amphetamine. 2,184 2,094 65 
			 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(2) (Class 'B' Drug) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 157, Sch 8, Part II. Having possession of a controlled drug: Other Class 'B' 162 149 11 
			 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(3) (Class 'B' Drug). Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Amphetamine. 300 258 123 
			 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(3) (Class 'B' Drug) Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: 0ther Class 'B'. 31 16 5 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )Prior to 18 January 2007 the possession of and/or with intent to supply Methylamphetamine was not a separate offence It was also reclassed from a class B to class A drug on 18 January 2007. Due to reclassification the table shows both amphetamine and class B data as methylamphetamine may have been recorded under one of those offences prior to reclassification The following are new acts and offence descriptions for Methylamphetamine offences:  The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.4 (3)  Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug (or being concerned in) (Class 'A' Drug) Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meths)  The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.5(2)  Having possession of a class A Drug (Class 'A' Drug) Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meths)  The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.5(3)  Having possession of a class A drug with intent to supply (Class 'A' Drug) Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meths)  Source:  Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Custodial Treatment: Offensive Weapons

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons were  (a) convicted of an offence of carrying a bladed article and  (b) received a custodial sentence for such a crime in England and Wales in each of the last six months.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of persons found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a bladed article in England and Wales for 2005 are shown in the following table.
	Data for 2006 will be available shortly.
	
		
			  The number of persons found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for the offences under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 S.I, and the Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139, S.139(A) and 139(2) as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(l), in England and Wales for 2005( 1, 2, 3) 
			   2005 
			  Statute  Offence description  Found guilty  Immediate custody 
			 Prevention of Crime Act 1953 S.I Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 5,728 829 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place 5,961 965 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139(A) as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(l) Having an article with a blade or point on school premises 44 5 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1988 139(2) as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 5.4(1) Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises 29 3 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )Excludes data provided by West Mercia police force area (for offences of carrying a knife on a school premises)  Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDS—OCJR, Ministry of Justice

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure that English wine is served exclusively or at the request of guests at meals, parties and receptions hosted by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Catering services to meet my Department's requirements are contracted out and provided by commercial suppliers.
	Where opportunities arise, my Department is committed to increasing the scope for small and medium-sized enterprises by encouraging our larger suppliers to increase their use of local suppliers within their supply chain.

Departmental Catering

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of  (a) beef,  (b) lamb,  (c) pork and  (d) dairy products used in his departmental headquarters were imported products in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the report published by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on 8 November 2007 that gives the proportion of UK produce supplied to Government Departments, NHS and HM Prison Service.
	Copies of the report are available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/index.htm
	and have been deposited in the House of Commons library.

Departmental Data Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials are employed by the Information Commissioner in investigating potential breaches of the Data Protection Act.

Michael Wills: 54 staff work in the ICO's case reception and casework and advice departments. These staff make assessments of compliance under section 42 of the Act.
	A further 22 staff are employed in the regulatory action division. This Department uses powers including criminal prosecution, non-criminal enforcement and audit to investigate non-compliance under the Act.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry has an obligation under the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Code to ensure its recruitment processes are operating under open and fair principles. The MOJ only employs applicants who have the right to work in the UK, and an individual's nationality is verified before an offer of employment is made. Civil Service rules enable EEA nationals and certain non-EEA family members to be employed as Civil Servants. The Ministry of Justice does not hold central data in respect of the number of EU foreign nationals employed and they could be collected only at disproportionate costs.
	There is also a provision that, in exceptional circumstances, foreign nationals, other than EEA nationals and certain non-EEA family members, may be employed by means of an aliens' certificate under the Aliens' Employment Act 1955. This Act empowers the employing Department's Minister, with the approval of the Minister for the Civil Service, to issue a certificate of employment in certain circumstances. Information on the number of staff employed under the Alien's Employment Act 1955 is collected. The Prison Service currently employs one person under the Act and approved by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, with the consent of the Minister for the Civil Service.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the model contract for special advisers. Copies of the model contract are available in the Libraries of the House. Neither of the Ministry of Justice's special advisers have declared any conflicts of interest to the Ministry since their appointment but they are aware of the need to declare any future conflicts that may arise in the course of their work.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the office costs for his Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice employs two special advisers. Details of their remuneration were published on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 148-50WS. They are supported by two full-time equivalent support staff. Given this small number of staff, providing cost information could identify an individual's salary, which is confidential between the individual and the employer. Office costs will be accounted for in the 2007-08 departmental annual report and accounts.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in his Department and its predecessors earned over £100,000 in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: All those employees earning base salaries of more than £100,000 per year are members of the senior civil service. The senior civil service reward framework is designed by Cabinet Office and common to all departments. The pay of all members of the MOJ SCS is within the SCS pay ranges set by Cabinet Office.
	Information relating to employees of the magistrates' courts committees prior to the creation of Her Majesty's Court Service in 2005 is not available, therefore the information provided relates to 2004-05 onwards.
	
		
			   Number earning £100,000 or more 
			 2004-05 21 
			 2005-06 20 
			 2006-07 20

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from his Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Maria Eagle: There is currently no requirement for Departments to hold details of secondment information centrally; information on secondments out of the Department or the destination and cost of the secondments is not held on the Ministry of Justice's internal HR system and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost. However information on secondees into the Department and those who entered the Department on loan from other Government Departments is recorded on the Ministry of Justice's internal HR Oracle system and is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Inwards secondments (headcount) MOJ (former DCA including only DCA HQ, HMCS, tribunals, OPG, Scotland and Wales Office) 
			   Secondment headcount  Loan headcount 
			 1 April 1997 to 31 March l998 0 4 
			 1 April 1998 to 31 March l999 0 26 
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 6 18 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 0 7 
			 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 1 18 
			 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 1 13 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 0 17 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 1 26 
			 1 October 2005 to 30 September 2006 0 6 
			 1 October 2006 to 30 September 2007 0 12

Health Insurance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package.

Maria Eagle: My Department and its agencies do not have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package. 74 officials employed in Her Majesty's Courts Service, one of the Ministry's Executive Agencies, do however retain an entitlement to private health insurance following the unification of the former DCA with the Magistrates' Courts Service on 1 April 2005, and the transfer of former Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCC) employees to the Department on TUPE terms. Of these, 53 officials currently retain an entitlement to private health insurance provided by AXA-PPP Healthcare, six retain an entitlement to annual health screening provided by Nuffield Proactive Health and 15 retain an entitlement to paid membership of a healthcare cash plan provided by Westfield Health. All these schemes were closed to new members on 1 April 2005.
	The Ministry has recently offered new terms and conditions to former DCA staff, including former MCC employees. Some legacy allowances that were not part of the new deal, including private health insurance entitlements, will be reviewed with the trade unions through the collective bargaining framework by the end of the current financial year. Any changes will be applied to all affected staff.

Housing: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of homes in the Peterborough city council area according to Land Registry data were worth  (a) £400,000 or more,  (b) £500,000 or more,  (c) £600,000 or more,  (d) £800,000 or more and  (e) £1,000,000 or more in each year since 1997.

Michael Wills: Land Registry is able to provide information on the number of properties sold for which prices of £400,000 or more, £500,000 or more, £600,000 or more, £800,000 or more and £1,000,000 or more have been paid. As these figures are extracted using price paid data, no information is available for any properties which have not been sold. This question has been answered on the basis of recorded sales figures in Peterborough within the requested price sectors. These sector-specific sales figures have then been calculated as a percentage of total annual sales in Peterborough from 1997 to 2006.
	The figures are reflected in the following table.
	
		
			  Land Registry price reports for Peterborough 1997 to 2006 
			   Total sales  Sales £400,000 to £500,000 and percentage of total  Sales £500,000 to £600,000 and percentage of total  Sales £600,000 to £800,000 and percentage of total  Sales £800,000 to £1 million and percentage of total  Sales £1 million plus and percentage of total 
			 1997 3497 1 = 0.03 0 0 0 0 
			 1998 2913 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1999 4226 1 - 0.02 0 0 0 0 
			 2000 4047 9 = 0.2 0 1= 0.02 0 0 
			 2001 4914 5 = 0.1 0 1 = 0.02 0 0 
			 2002 5272 11=0.2 3 = 0.06 1 = 0.02 0 0 
			 2003 4651 15 = 0.3 1 = 0.02 3 = 0.06 1 = 0.02 0 
			 2004 4970 24 = 0.5 3 = 0.06 1 = 0.02 1 = 0.02 1 = 0.02 
			 2005 3963 22 = 0.5 7 = 0.2 2 = 0.05 4 = 0.1 2 = 0.05 
			 2006 5155 49 = 0.9 15 = 0.3 7 = 0.1 4 = 0.08 1 = 0.02 
			  Notes: Land Registry Crown Copyright Reserved. Data in this report is subject to crown copyright protection. Where the material is being published or issued to others the source and copyright status must be acknowledged. This information is licensed for your use only and may not be sold to third parties as part of a data set or otherwise unless a licence to do so has been obtained from The Property Information Team.

National Security

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, when he expects the specialist unit in the Prisons Service tasked with preventing extremists using prison networks to plot future activities announced by the Prime Minister to be set up; what he expects its costs to be; and how he plans to measure the effectiveness of the unit.

Maria Eagle: HM Prison Service's Extremism Unit was established in March 2007, and is co-ordinating a programme of work to address the risks posed by extremists in prison. The programme includes awareness raising and training for staff, support for Muslim Chaplains, collection and analysis of information, and strategy and policy development. The Unit's costs for the current financial year are expected to be in the order of £350,000. The programme of work co-ordinated by the unit is linked to the CONTEST strategy and is reviewed by Ministers on a regular basis.

Police Custody: Wales

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  on how many days police custody suites in  (a) Wales,  (b) Dyfed-Powys police area and  (c) Pembrokeshire have been used to accommodate prisoners in 2007;
	(2)  how many prisoners have been accommodated in police custody suites in  (a) Wales,  (b) Dyfed-Powys police area and  (c) Pembrokeshire in 2007;
	(3)  how many cells in police custody units in  (a) Wales,  (b) Dyfed-Powys police area and  (c) Pembrokeshire are reserved for prisoners.  [Official Report, 20 February 2008, Vol. 472, c. 7MC.]

David Hanson: The number of places provided by police forces for Operation Safeguard use may vary according to operational pressures. On 16 November 2007 there were 38 places available for Operation Safeguard use in Wales. No places were available in Dyfed Powys police force area or in Pembrokeshire.
	The following table shows the number of nights between 22 January and 20 November 2007 that police cells were used in Wales, by Dyfed Powys police force and in Pembrokeshire for Operation Safeguard, and the number of occasions prisoners were held; one occasion means one prisoner night in a police cell.
	
		
			   Nights  Occasions 
			 Wales 231 4,182 
			 Dyfed Powys 125 615 
			 Pembrokeshire 80 332

Prison Places

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 16 April 2007 to the hon. Member for Sunderland South,  Official Report, column 480W, on prison places, what the average capital cost was of providing each place in the prisons built in each year since 1997, including all land acquisition, construction, legal and conveyancing costs and other associated costs.

David Hanson: All prisons constructed since 1997 and run by the private sector have been procured under PFI. The following table provides the net present value figure at the time of the contact award. This figure includes construction, legal, conveyancing and other costs associated with the contract. Land acquisition costs paid by the authority are deemed commercial in confidence and therefore are not able to be disclosed.
	
		
			  Prison  Contract award  Price NPV (£ million)( 1) 
			 Ashfield 1 July 1998 121 
			 Forest Bank 6 July 1998 197 
			 Dovegate 27 September 1999 240 
			 Rye Hill 23 July 1999 154 
			 Bronzefield 20 December 2002 219 
			 Peterborough 14 February 2003 291 
			 (1) Costs correct at time of award for the life of the contract

Prison Service: Pay

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many area managers in HM Prison Service received bonuses at the end of the 2005-06 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Records on the personnel corporate database indicate that no special bonuses were awarded to area managers in HM Prison Service at the end of the 2005-06 financial year. However, performance bonuses form part of normal pay arrangements for all senior civil servants and area managers can receive bonuses as part of these arrangements.

Prison Service: Pay

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the previous area manager for London received a bonus on retirement from HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Records on the personnel corporate database indicate that the previous area manager for London did not receive a bonus on his retirement.

Prison Service: Pay

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many members of the HM Prison Service management board received bonuses at the end of the  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Records on the Personnel Corporate Database indicate that the following special bonuses were awarded to the HM Prison Service management board:
	 (a) 2005-06: one bonus awarded
	 (b) 2006-07: Nil.

Prison Service: Pay

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many area managers in HM Prison Service received a bonus at the end of the 2006-07 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Records on the personnel corporate database indicate that no bonuses were awarded to area managers in HM Prison Service at the end of the 2006-07 financial year. However, performance bonuses form part of normal pay arrangements for all Senior Civil Servants and Area Managers can receive bonuses as part of these arrangements.

Prison Service: Unfair Dismissal

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to his answer of 17 May 2007,  Official Report, column 875W, on prison service: unfair dismissal, for what reason this information is not collected in this form by the Treasury Solicitor; and if he will make a statement.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	Compensation and associated legal costs are met by the client department out of its appropriation, not by the Treasury Solicitor. There has thus been no operational reason coming from within his own Department for the Treasury Solicitor to collate and monitor these payments. As there has been no call from client departments to produce figures, the Treasury Solicitor has not been able to justify the commitment of public funds to that end. For this reason, the figures requested are not held by the Treasury Solicitor's Department in the form requested and to attempt to gather them now could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Police Cells

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the Prison Service has paid Suffolk police authority for use of its police cells in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Police forces involved in Operation Safeguard charge NOMS in arrears for the cost of making police cells available to accommodate prisoners.
	To date in 2007 NOMS has paid Suffolk police force £366,964 for Operation Safeguard usage in 2006 and 2007.
	Prisoners are also sometimes held in police cells as "lockouts". A lockout is an emergency measure used to hold prisoners overnight and is only used, for example, when the designated prison's reception will be closed before their arrival time.
	£1,847 was paid to Suffolk police in 2006-07 for lockout usage and £1,155 has been paid to date in 2007-08. Information on the amount paid in the three years previous to 2006-07 is not available. As police forces submit invoices in arrears, payments do not necessarily relate to the years in which the lockouts took place.

Prisoners: Special Educational Needs

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people with learning disabilities were detained in UK  (a) prisons and  (b) youth offender institutions in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In 1997, the Office for National Statistics undertook a survey of mental ill health in the prison population of England and Wales. This found that a higher proportion of prisoners had lower intellectual functioning scores than would be expected in the general population.
	Further information is available in the report of this survey: "Psychiatric Morbidity Amongst Prisoners in England and Wales" (1998), a copy of which is available in the Library.

Prisoners: Transport

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total cost was of transporting  (a) prisoners on remand to court and  (b) sentenced prisoners from court to prison in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: This information is not available before the start of the current contracts for the escort of prisoners to and from courts in August 2004. There is no requirement for contractors to separate the costs of escorting remand and sentenced prisoners. This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost, as it would involve analysing the individual records of all prisoner movements.

Prisoners: Video Games

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures apply to access by prisoners to computer  (a) games and  (b) consoles (i) individually and (ii) communally.

David Hanson: Computer games and consoles for prisoners are used as part of the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme, in recognition of good behaviour. All games and consoles must be approved by the prison. Prisoners are not permitted access to games with extreme violent, racist or sexually inappropriate themes or to consoles which can connect to the internet.

Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for how many of the additional 1,500 prison places announced on 19th June 2007 funding has been secured; and where these funded places will be.

David Hanson: Funding has been confirmed for the first 500 of the additional 1,500 places announced in June this year. These places will be provided in existing adult male prisons. The current locations are:
	Erlestoke, Wiltshire
	Ranby, Nottinghamshire
	Blundeston, Suffolk
	Kirklevington Grange, Cleveland
	Isle of Wight
	Wymott, Lancashire
	Ashwell, Rutland
	Highpoint, Suffolk
	Decisions on the remaining 1,000 places will be made after Lord Carter has completed his review on the supply and demand of prison places.

Prisons: Drugs

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research he has commissioned into the effectiveness of mandatory drug testing of all prisoners upon entry to custody; and what his policy is on the compatibility of such testing with human rights legislation.

Maria Eagle: Research on the overall impact and effectiveness of mandatory drug testing (MDT) in prisons has been carried out by the Office for National Statistics and Institute of Psychiatry (2005). There are two types of MDT—random and targeted (on reception, frequent programme, risk assessment and suspicion). The research concluded that random MDT provides a good measure of drug misuse in prisons over time. It also suggested that more reception MDT on entry to the prison system might be a better way of detecting and directing users into treatment.
	Prisons have discretion to use reception MDT for one of two reasons—to assess the drug misuse problem (and identify need) coming in from both new receptions and prison transfers or to send out a clear message that drug misuse will not be tolerated. So far in 2007-08, 66 prisons have undertaken a degree of reception MDT. However, all local prisons undertake clinical health assessments on reception and indicative drug testing plays an important part in that process. Those declaring a drug problem at the point of their reception may be asked to provide a sample for a drug screen. The result of this clinical drug test is available immediately and is used as part of a clinical substance misuse assessment, prior to the commencement of any prescribed treatment for the management of drug misuse. Not everyone with a drug problem will test positive for drugs on reception into prison. A full clinical assessment therefore is much more effective and immediate in identifying drug treatment need than on-reception MDT.
	MDT is a proportionate response to the threat posed by drugs within prisons and hence compatible with human rights legislation. The particular problems arising from misuse of drugs within prisons include disorder and violence, risks to health, and the intimidation and bullying of prisoners and their families to supply drugs. This undermines the rights and freedoms of those prisoners who wish to stay away from drugs. The National Offender Management Service has a duty of care to those held in custody. The extent of MDT undertaken within a prison must be maintained at a level proportionate to the problem experienced with drugs. Prisoners must not be subjected needlessly to drug tests. MDT is compatible with the Human Rights Act as long as it is proportionate and carried out in accordance with the policy and procedures laid down in Prison Service Order 3601. Despite some attempts by prisoners to challenge MDT at the European Court of Human Rights, none has progressed beyond the admissibility stage.

Prisons: Interpreters

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent in each prison on translation and interpretation services in the last year for which figures are available in the prison estate; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it would involve collating the data from 142 prisons individually. Each of the 142 prisons would have to analyse the cost of interpreters or translators which is not kept in a discrete accounting code. Serving prisoners may also volunteer to act as interpreters or translators.

Prosecutions: Crack

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons have been  (a) prosecuted and  (b) sentenced for offences relating to the dealing of crack cocaine in each of the last 10 years in (i) England, (ii) the north-east and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of defendants prosecuted and sentenced for offences relating to the dealing of cocaine in England, the north-east and Cleveland police force area from 1996 to 2005 are shown in the following table. My Department are not able to provide data for the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency as the data are not held at the required level. Data for 2006 will be available shortly.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against and sentenced to selected offences relating to cocaine, in England, the North East and Cleveland police force area, 1996 to 2005( 1,2,3,4,5) 
			   1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			  England 
			 Proceeded against 568 717 805 965 1,027 1,357 1,482 1,584 1,579 1,823 
			 Sentenced 351 404 516 627 573 701 868 1,097 1,197 1,323 
			
			  North-east region 
			 Proceeded against 23 27 19 69 51 57 81 73 69 100 
			 Sentenced 10 11 17 27 36 33 45 66 66 78 
			
			  Cleveland police force area 
			 Proceeded against 11 6 6 34 33 35 60 36 19 35 
			 Sentenced 2 3 1 11 10 19 16 38 28 36 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The sentenced column may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty and committed for sentence at the crown court may be sentenced in the following year. (4) The following offences have been used in the table: (a) Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): Cocaine. (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 4(3) [Class 'A1 Drug]. (b) Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply:-Cocaine. (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(3) [Class 'A1 Drug]. (5) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.

Protests: Stoke Heath Young Offender Institution

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many roof top protests there were at Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution Stoke Heath in each month in the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The following table lists the number of incidents at height reported, on the incident reporting system (IRS), at HMYOI Stoke Heath in each of the last five years. For the purposes of the collection of data, an incident at height includes not only climbing on to roofs but also climbing on to or up other areas, both internally and externally.
	
		
			  Incidents at Height HMYOI Stoke Heath 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 April 0 0 1 0 0 
			 May 0 0 0 0 0 
			 June 0 0 0 0 1 
			 July 0 0 0 0 0 
			 August 0 0 0 0 1 
			 September 0 0 0 0 0 
			 October 0 0 0 0 1 
			 November 0 0 0 0 0 
			 December 0 0 0 0 0 
			 January 0 0 0 1 0 
			 February 0 0 0 0 2 
			 March 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Total 0 0 1 1 6

Residence Orders

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many residence orders were made in respect of  (a) men and  (b) women in 2006.

Maria Eagle: 33,000 residence orders were given in 2006. Data to enable this figure to be separated between those granted to men and those granted to women is not recorded centrally.
	Information to enable the gender of the successful party to be identified can be gathered only by reviewing court files or, for the county courts by reviewing the text of every individual order made and recorded on the court's IT system. This would incur a disproportionate cost.

Road Traffic Offences: Fixed Penalties

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of (a) fixed penalty notices and (b) penalty charge notices for motoring offences were paid in full within the 28 day deadline in each year since 1999.

Maria Eagle: Available information from 1999 to 2005 (the latest available) is provided in the following tables. 2006 data will be available next year.
	Information contained in Table A relates to the number of motoring offences fixed penalty notices issued by result. Data are collected on the disposal (i.e. paid, fine registration certificate issued etc).
	Data within Table B relates to penalty charge notices issued by result under the decriminalised parking enforcement scheme.
	
		
			  Table A: Number and percentage of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences by resul( 1) , England and Wales, 1999 to 2005 
			  Number (thousand) and percentage 
			Total notices dealt with  Paid within 28 days  Payment accepted after 28 days  Sub-total paid  No further action taken  Fine registration certificate issued( 2)  Referred for court proceedings 
			 1999(3) Number 3,089,000 1,730,700 696,300 2,427,000 235,500 406,900 19,600 
			  Percentage 100 56 23 79 8 13 0.6 
			  
			 2000(3) Number 2,984,300 1,718,600 672,000 2,390,600 208,000 370,800 14,900 
			   Percentage  100  58  23  80  7  12  0.5 
			  
			 2001(3) Number 2,897,200 1,692,500 673,400 2,365,800 147,600 369,300 14,500 
			   Percentage  100  58  23  82  5  13  0.5 
			  
			 2002 Number 2,865,800 1,833,300 582,300 2,415,600 115,800 322,000 12,500 
			   Percentage  100  64  20  85  4  11  0.4 
			  
			 2003 Number 3,506,000 2,335,700 714,900 3,050,600 98,300 345,700 11,400 
			   Percentage  100  67  20  87  3  10  0.3 
			  
			 2004 Number 3,377,100 2,303,400 665,500 2,968,900 95,000 301,000 12,200 
			   Percentage  100  68  20  88  3  9  0.4 
			  
			  2005( 4)  Percentage  100  72  18  90  2  7  0.7 
			 (1) Endorsable and non-endorsable notices combined. (2) Includes outcomes not finalised. (3) Revised since original publication following amendments received from Essex police force area. (4) The analysis of results of fixed penalty notices paid is not yet complete for 2005. The national percentages shown are estimates.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Number and percentage of penalty charge notices by result, England and Wales( 1) , 1999 to 2005 
			  Number (thousand) and percentage 
			Total notices( 2)  dealt with  Paid within 14 days  Paid after 14 days but before service of charge certificate  Paid after charge certificate served  Sub total paid  Cases going for adjudication  Number of certificates registered  No further( 3)  action taken 
			 1999 Number 3,327,700 1,575,200 421,800 9,600 2,006,600 40,400 563,600 717,100 
			   Percentage  100  47  13  0.3  60  1  17  22 
			   
			 2000 Number 3,512,900 1,753,200 446,300 26,800 2,226,200 35,200 617,800 633,500 
			   Percentage  100  50  13  1  63  1  18  18 
			   
			 2001 Number 4,844,200 2,386,200 579,200 130,100 3,095,600 34,900 938,700 775,000 
			   Percentage  100  49  12  3  64  1  19  16 
			   
			 2002 Number 6,296,300 2,792,800 731,500 180,700 3,705,000 69,200 1,213,400 1,308,700 
			   Percentage  100  44  12  3  59  1  19  21 
			   
			 2003 Number 6,745,500 3,255,800 820,900 220,200 4,296,900 53,300 1,033,800 1,361,500 
			   Percentage  100  48  12  3  64  1  15  20 
			   
			 2004 Number 7,340,800 3,676,300 1,086,900 195,200 4,958,300 64,500 1,048,300 1,269,700 
			   Percentage  100  50  15  3  68  1  14  17 
			   
			 2005 Number 6,967,600 3,717,500 823,000 265,100 4,805,700 53,300 1,027,800 1,080,700 
			   Percentage  100  53  12  4  69  1  15  16 
			 (1) The first Welsh local authority joined the decriminalised parking scheme in 2004. (2) Each yearly figure excludes notices issued during the period that were still being processed and includes notices issued in a previous period but recorded as payment in a later year. (3) Where the PCN is written off, for example, the motorist cannot be traced or the PCN is cancelled due to procedural error or successful representation.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by local authorities. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Truancy: Fines

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will make an assessment of the likely effect on numbers of prison places of any custodial sentences handed out to 17 year olds who have not paid fines for truanting in the first year following implementation of such a policy;
	(2)  if he will estimate the likely number of custodial sentences which will be handed out to 17 year olds who have not paid fines for truanting in the first year following implementation of such a policy.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	None. The main enforcement system is not a criminal one and in practice a custodial sentence for non-participation is not a realistic prospect.

Young Offender Institutions: Fires

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many fires were started by prisoners at each young offender institution in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The following table lists the total number of 'fire incidents' reported in the incident report system at young offender institutions in England and Wales in each of the last five years. Fire incidents may be actual fires but could, for example, include mischievous activation of fire alarms. To ascertain whether the incident was an actual fire would require the analysis of each incident report, which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The data is held in financial years.
	
		
			  Fire incidents at young offender institutions 
			  Establishment  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total 
			 Ashfield 31 22 18 7 2 80 
			 Brinsford 7 4 5 21 10 47 
			 Castington 24 9 12 10 12 67 
			 Cookham Wood 1 11 0 1 1 14 
			 Downview 2 5 7 5 2 21 
			 Eastwood Park 9 8 17 27 13 74 
			 Feltham 17 23 60 45 44 189 
			 Foston Hall 20 5 7 4 4 40 
			 Hindley 12 23 5 32 38 110 
			 Huntercombe 7 8 8 3 6 32 
			 Lancaster Farms 4 3 6 8 25 46 
			 Newhall 6 20 17 2 4 49 
			 Parc 24 43 13 11 10 101 
			 Stokeheath 9 4 10 19 27 69 
			 Thorncross 3 0 0 2 4 9 
			 Warren Hill 0 2 0 1 8 11 
			 Werrington 0 1 0 0 9 10 
			 Wetherby 9 14 24 8 4 59 
			 Glen Parva 4 8 4 8 2 26 
			 Onley 4 7 8 11 6 36 
			 Rochester 2 3 5 2 3 15 
			 Deerbolt 6 5 7 10 7 35 
			 Reading 2 1 1 4 9 17 
			 Aylesbury 5 8 3 4 11 31 
			 Portland 4 5 17 11 4 41 
			 Swinfen Hall 1 1 5 1 2 10 
			 Northallerton 3 2 0 1 4 10 
			 Total 216 245 259 258 271 1,249

Young Offender Institutions: Injuries

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many injuries there were to staff at each young offender institution in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2007 12,967 injuries to staff and prisoners were recorded in young offender institutions.

Young Offender Institutions: Violence

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prisoner on prisoner assaults,  (b) riots and  (c) assaults on staff there were at each young offender institution in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The response to part  (a) of the question is provided in the following table which refers to the number of individual assault incidents:
	
		
			  YOI  Type  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Ashfield Prisoner on Prisoner 429 271 304 500 625 
			 Aylesbury Prisoner on Prisoner 44 26 21 78 80 
			 Brinsford Prisoner on Prisoner 281 304 326 344 187 
			 Castington Prisoner on Prisoner 363 312 384 361 360 
			 Deerbolt Prisoner on Prisoner 154 167 205 164 152 
			 Feltham Prisoner on Prisoner 459 569 576 549 476 
			 Glen Parva Prisoner on Prisoner 222 241 230 269 341 
			 Hindley Prisoner on Prisoner 88 177 63 112 348 
			 Huntercombe Prisoner on Prisoner 44 77 79 95 184 
			 Lancaster Farms Prisoner on Prisoner 130 17 185 435 363 
			 Northallerton Prisoner on Prisoner 80 82 84 104 82 
			 Onley(1) Prisoner on Prisoner 516 509 161 152 153 
			 Portland Prisoner on Prisoner 71 61 125 154 127 
			 Reading Prisoner on Prisoner 7 23 25 76 57 
			 Rochester Prisoner on Prisoner 32 51 102 78 100 
			 Stoke Heath Prisoner on Prisoner 241 137 239 438 506 
			 Swinfen Hall(1) Prisoner on Prisoner 127 110 96 104 89 
			 Thorn Cross Prisoner on Prisoner 56 39 7 19 143 
			 Warren Hill Prisoner on Prisoner — 93 162 256 268 
			 Werrington Prisoner on Prisoner 114 129 104 139 143 
			 Wetherby Prisoner on Prisoner 41 175 414 492 403 
			 (1) In 2004 Onley and Swinfen Hall were re-rolled to also hold adults. The change in population may be expected to be reflected in the number of assaults. 
		
	
	In respect of part  (b) of the question the term 'riot' is not employed in the recording of incidents. The recording of 'acts of concerted indiscipline' is undertaken and applied to an incident where two or more prisoners act together in defiance of a lawful instruction or against the requirements of the regime including passive acts. The following table provides this information in financial years.
	
		
			  YOI  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Ashfield 2 3 0 0 1 
			 Aylesbury 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Brinsford 2 0 0 0 1 
			 Castington 4 2 1 2 3 
			 Deerbolt 1 3 2 3 1 
			 Feltham 2 1 3 3 7 
			 Glen Parva 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Hindley 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Huntercombe 1 2 1 0 2 
			 Lancaster Farms 0 1 5 1 5 
			 Northallerton 1 1 1 6 1 
			 Onley(1) 0 1 0 — — 
			 Portland 3 0 0 2 0 
			 Reading 3 1 0 0 0 
			 Rochester 1 0 1 0 0 
			 Stoke Heath 2 0 2 1 5 
			 Swinfen Hall(1) 0 0 0 — — 
			 Thorn Cross 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Warren Hill — 0 0 0 0 
			 Werrington 1 1 0 1 2 
			 Wetherby 3 2 1 3 1 
			 (1) In 2004 Onley and Swinfen Hall were re-rolled to also hold adults. The change in population may be expected to be reflected in the number of assaults. 
		
	
	The information requested in part (c) of the question is provided in the following table.
	This table refers to prisoner on officer and prisoner on other (a smaller category which may also include assaults on visitors as well as other staff).
	
		
			  YOI  Assault type  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Ashfield Prisoner on Staff 131 70 90 180 136 
			 Aylesbury Prisoner on Staff 12 15 6 17 18 
			 Brinsford Prisoner on Staff 32 39 34 19 10 
			 Castington Prisoner on Staff 59 56 57 50 46 
			 Deerbolt Prisoner on Staff 11 6 28 33 22 
			 Feltham Prisoner on Staff 84 103 173 138 118 
			 Glen Parva Prisoner on Staff 43 29 39 31 45 
			 Hindley Prisoner on Staff 33 27 14 32 58 
			 Huntercombe Prisoner on Staff 15 19 15 15 33 
			 Lancaster Farms Prisoner on Staff 21 9 28 47 56 
			 Northallerton Prisoner on Staff 10 19 22 14 9 
			 Onley(1) Prisoner on Staff 75 98 15 29 32 
			 Portland Prisoner on Staff 25 16 39 40 42 
			 Reading Prisoner on Staff 6 7 16 16 12 
			 Rochester Prisoner on Staff 5 16 18 23 13 
			 Stoke Heath Prisoner on Staff 51 20 39 56 69 
			 Swinfen Hall(1) Prisoner on Staff 8 9 4 10 10 
			 Thorn Cross Prisoner on Staff 1 4 1 1 4 
			 Warren Hill Prisoner on Staff — 12 21 34 42 
			 Werrington Prisoner on Staff 5 24 19 19 22 
			 Wetherby Prisoner on Staff 9 14 77 72 60 
			 (1) In 2004 Onley and Swinfen Hall were re-rolled to also hold adults. The change in population may be expected to be reflected in the number of assaults.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Crime of Aggression Special Working Group

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policy priorities are being pursued by the Government's representative on the Special Working Group on the Crime of Aggression of the International Criminal Court.

Kim Howells: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 The UK participates actively in the Special Working Group on the Crime of Aggression. The Government expect discussions to continue ahead of a Review Conference in 2010, where any proposal to amend the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court would be discussed.
	The Government's view is that any proposal must command the widest possible acceptance and must reflect the primary responsibility of the UN Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security as enshrined in the UN charter.

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from his Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Meg Munn: 63 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff are currently on outward loan to other Government Departments and 69 FCO staff are seconded to other organisations or the private sector. 238 staff are on inward loan from other Government Departments and three staff are on secondment from other organisations.
	The average length of each interchange loan or secondment is two to three years. The cost of each interchange loan is borne by each staff member's parent Department. Outward loans to other Government Departments incur negligible additional costs as staff transfer on level salary terms. The FCO normally pays up to 20 per cent. additional salary costs for staff on outward secondment.
	Complete figures on the numbers of interchanges and secondments from 1997 to 2006 were not collated and cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Immigrants: Criminal Records

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criminal records checks are made on non-UK citizens seeking to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: All persons applying for visas and those arriving into the UK are checked against a database. Further checks may also be carried out in accordance with selective criteria both overseas (where the person has applied for a visa) and at the point of entry into the UK.

Pakistan: Politics and Government

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent events in Pakistan; and what steps are being considered by his Department to encourage the release of political prisoners.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley) on 20 November,  Official Report, column 1092.
	Through our high commission in Islamabad we are continuing urgently to seek access to political activists and members of civil society who have been detained, and to press for their release. We welcome the release of many of those who have been held under the state of emergency: this is a step in the right direction, but we continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to release all political prisoners as soon as possible.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  if she will undertake a review of her Office's compliance with data protection laws; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the last such review;
	(2)  how many employees of each grade in her Office  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of her Office's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of her Office has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of her Office for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases was;
	(3)  how many occasions in her Office confidential data have been downloaded onto compact discs  (a) without and  (b) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures are in place for the (i) transport, (ii) exchange and (iii) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are held by her Office of information being sent outside the Office; on how many occasions her Office's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; and what procedures her Office has in place on downloading confidential data onto computer disks before transfer.

Helen Goodman: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by her Department.

Helen Goodman: All staff in the Leader's Office are British passport holders.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeships were created in the London borough of Bexley in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships can be derived from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) individualised learner record (ILR). The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts from August to July in each year in East London local LSC area. (These figures are not readily available at local authority level.)
	
		
			  Thousands 
			   Advanced Apprenticeships  Apprenticeships 
			 2004/05 0.7 2.2 
			 2005/06 0.6 1.9 
			 2006/07 0.5 1.6

Apprentices: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeships were created in each London borough in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships can be derived from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts from August to July in each year in local LSC areas. (These figures are not readily available at local authority level.)
	
		
			  Thousands 
			  LSC local area  2004/05 Advanced Apprenticeship  Apprenticeship  2005/06 Advanced Apprenticeship  Apprenticeship 
			 Derbyshire 0.9 2.6 0.8 2.2 
			 Leicestershire 0.6 1.9 0.6 1.7 
			 Lincolnshire and Rutland 0.5 1.6 0.6 1.3 
			 Northamptonshire 0.5 1.8 0.6 1.7 
			 Nottinghamshire 1.1 3.2 1.2 3.1 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 0.2 0.9 0.2 0.8 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.7 1.6 0.5 1.3 
			 Essex 0.7 3.1 0.7 2.9 
			 Hertfordshire 0.5 1.6 0.7 1.5 
			 Norfolk 0.4 1.9 0.4 1.4 
			 Suffolk 0.5 1.7 0.6 1.7 
			 London Central 0.6 2.1 0.5 1.9 
			 London East 0.7 2.2 0.6 1.9 
			 London North 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.4 
			 London South 0.7 1.6 0.8 1.5 
			 London West 0.3 1.0 0.3 0.9 
			 County Durham 0.4 1.6 0.5 1.5 
			 Northumberland 0.2 0.9 0.2 0.8 
			 Tees Valley 0.8 2.6 0.8 2.1 
			 Tyne and Wear 1.3 3.4 1.6 3.6 
			 Cheshire and Warrington 1.1 2.7 1.1 2.1 
			 Cumbria 0.5 1.6 0.5 1.1 
			 Greater Manchester 2.4 7.6 2.5 7.4 
			 Greater Merseyside 1.9 6.0 1.8 4.7 
			 Lancashire 1.6 4.1 1.4 3.2 
			 Berkshire 0.9 1.7 1.2 2.2 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1.1 3.4 1.6 3.2 
			 Kent and Medway 0.8 2.7 0.7 2.3 
			 Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire 1.1 2.6 1.1 2.2 
			 Surrey 0.4 1.1 0.4 1.2 
			 Sussex 0.9 2.5 0.9 2.3 
			 Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole 0.5 1.6 0.5 2.0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1.5 4.6 1.5 4.0 
			 Gloucestershire 0.4 0.9 0.3 0.9 
			 Somerset 0.5 1.1 0.4 1.0 
			 West of England 0.9 1.5 0.9 1.5 
			 Wiltshire and Swindon 0.3 1.4 0.3 1.3 
			 Birmingham and Solihull 0.9 2.8 0.8 2.2 
			 Black Country 1.0 3.6 1.0 3.4 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire 0.8 2.0 0.9 1.9 
			 Hereford and Worcestershire 0.7 1.6 0.7 1.5 
			 Shropshire 0.4 1.1 0.3 10 
			 Staffordshire 1.0 3.2 1.1 2.7 
			 Humberside 0.8 2.3 0.8 2.3 
			 North Yorkshire 0.6 2.0 0.6 1.7 
			 South Yorkshire 0.8 3.8 1.1 3.9 
			 West Yorkshire 1.8 5.0 1.8 4.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Thousands 
			  LSC local area  2006/07 Advanced Apprenticeship  Apprenticeship 
			 Derbyshire 0.9 2.0 
			 Leicestershire 0.9 1.7 
			 Lincolnshire and Rutland 0.7 1.4 
			 Northamptonshire 0.6 1.5 
			 Nottinghamshire 1.4 3.1 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 0.3 0.7 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.7 1.5 
			 Essex 0.9 3.0 
			 Hertfordshire 0.6 1.4 
			 Norfolk 0.6 1.6 
			 Suffolk 0.6 1.7 
			 London Central 0.6 1.8 
			 London East 0.5 1.6 
			 London North 0.5 0.5 
			 London South 0.9 1.5 
			 London West 0.5 0.9 
			 County Durham 0.6 1.4 
			 Northumberland 0.2 0.5 
			 Tees Valley 0.8 2.0 
			 Tyne and Wear 1.5 3.0 
			 Cheshire and Warrington 1.3 2.1 
			 Cumbria 0.7 1.3 
			 Greater Manchester 2.9 7.0 
			 Greater Merseyside 2.1 5.4 
			 Lancashire 1.9 3.9 
			 Berkshire 1.5 2.9 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1.8 4.4 
			 Kent and Medway 0.9 2.7 
			 Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire 1.3 1.7 
			 Surrey 0.5 1.0 
			 Sussex 0.9 1.7 
			 Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole 0.6 1.6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1.8 4.1 
			 Gloucestershire 0.5 0.8 
			 Somerset 0.4 1.1 
			 West of England 0.8 1.9 
			 Wiltshire and Swindon 0.4 1.2 
			 Birmingham and Solihull 1.0 2.4 
			 Black Country 1.0 2.8 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire 0.8 1.5 
			 Hereford and Worcestershire 0.9 1.5 
			 Shropshire 0.5 1.0 
			 Staffordshire 1.1 2.7 
			 Humberside 1.0 2.1 
			 North Yorkshire 0.7 1.6 
			 South Yorkshire 1.0 3.3 
			 West Yorkshire 2.2 4.4

Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has for the BREW programme; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	The Business Resource Efficiency and Resource (BREW) programme was set up to give £284 million additional landfill taxes back to business over three years (from April 2005 to March 2008) through funding for resource efficiency and waste projects.
	Future funding of the BREW programme will be subject to future spending decisions which will be carefully balanced with other departmental priorities in tackling waste and climate change.

Departmental Publicity

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of machinery of government changes on 28 June. Since that date the Department has spent a total of £2,444,194 on advertising.

Departmental Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he expects to publish his Department's autumn performance report.

David Lammy: The Department is planning to publish its Autumn Performance Report for 2007 before the house rises for the Christmas recess.

Nanotechnology

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if his Department will assess the potential effect of nanotechnology on the high technology industry; and if his Department will fund  (a) relevant skills training and  (b) public engagement campaigns to support the development of nanotechnology.

Ian Pearson: We have recognised that nanotechnology underpins a number of key technology areas where the UK has a strong industrial base, including in the areas of advanced materials, bioscience and healthcare, electronics, and advanced manufacturing. The Technology Strategy Board is currently reviewing its strategies for these technology areas as well as for emerging technologies.
	DTI funded two public engagement activities, Nanodialogues and the Nanotechnology Engagement Group (NEG), the final reports of which were launched in June 2007. The cross-Departmental Nanotechnology Research Coordination Group (NRCG) is evaluating the findings from that work to determine what further public engagement is needed.
	DIUS and GO-Science are also taking forward the activities begun by the DTI to gain expert, stakeholder and public views on future scenarios for science and technology development, including elements related to nanotechnology. The results of this work are now being assessed with a view to prioritising areas for future public engagement work.
	Additionally, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is implementing a programme in nanoscience through engineering to application, in order to build on the platform of earlier investments and to realise the benefits of the technology for society and the economy. The programme has identified doctoral training centres as a key way of enhancing the skills base in this area. EPSRC is also in the process of changing its collaborative training accounts into knowledge transfer accounts and it is possible that these will support training in the nanotechnology area aimed at users.

Research: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much of the £1 billion announced on the publication of the Sainsbury Review to be spent on business, innovation and technology development is additional spending not previously announced.

Ian Pearson: The Technology Strategy Board will develop and lead a strategic programme worth £1 billion over the next three years (the upcoming CSR period), in partnership with the research councils and the regional development agencies (RDA). This includes £180 million which will be earmarked by the RDAs and £120 million by the research councils to spend jointly on activities with the TSB. The £1 billion is all new money not previously announced.

Research: Finance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what public spending on research and development was  (a) in real terms and  (b) as a share of gross domestic product in each year since 1992, broken down by (i) region and (ii) county; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for the private sector over the same period.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 26 November 2007
	Gross expenditure on research and development data is only available at a national level. It is therefore not possible to produce real or percentage of GDP estimates by region split by private and public expenditure. Business expenditure as a percentage of GDP is, however, available at a regional level (but not at a county level). The following tables shows business expenditure on research and development by region (in real terms, 2006 prices).
	
		
			  Business Enterprise research and expenditure by region 
			  £ million in real terms (2006 prices) 
			   United Kingdom  England  North East  North West  Yorkshire and the Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands 
			 1992 11,591 — — — — — — 
			 1993 12,059 11,531 183 1,158 318 1,093 997 
			 1994 12,050 11,405 382 1,552 349 811 833 
			 1995 12,057 11,494 304 1,436 369 813 877 
			 1996 11,895 11,267 242 1,494 356 908 804 
			 1997 11,879 11,276 201 1,438 317 880 804 
			 1998 12,286 11,602 216 1,474 348 940 858 
			 1999 13,432 12,606 195 1,754 367 996 860 
			 2000 13,487 12,687 192 1,700 356 1,093 675 
			 2001 13,707 12,755 136 1,778 341 1,024 841 
			 2002 13,836 12,854 138 1,778 373 1,079 858 
			 2003 13,671 12,774 164 1,666 372 936 872 
			 2004 13,294 12,419 270 1,825 360 982 795 
			 2005 13,681 12,699 297 1,945 354 1,029 739 
			 2006 14,306 13,361 293 1,627 386 977 933 
		
	
	
		
			  £ million in real terms (2006 prices) 
			   Eastern England  London  South  E ast  South W est  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland 
			 1992 — — — — — — — 
			 1993 356 1,361 5,345 718 155 320 54 
			 1994 635 721 5,136 988 157 409 79 
			 1995 2,677 1,165 2,871 983 127 356 81 
			 1996 2,723 934 2,894 912 138 386 105 
			 1997 2,960 829 2,903 942 140 362 101 
			 1998 2,870 780 3,027 1,089 152 434 98 
			 1999 3,041 874 3,466 1,054 241 467 118 
			 2000 3,232 949 3,473 1,016 169 469 163 
			 2001 3,168 743 3,594 1,131 172 609 172 
			 2002 2,941 940 3,467 1,284 206 610 165 
			 2003 3,166 765 3,507 1,325 223 548 125 
			 2004 2,804 781 3,242 1,360 237 517 122 
			 2005 3,379 553 3,120 1,284 239 602 140 
			 2006 3,570 980 3,279 1,316 222 579 145 
			  Source: ONS

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare: Fisheries

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what legislative provisions are in place governing the welfare of fish caught for human consumption.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are no legislative provisions covering either recreational anglers or commercial fishing at sea.
	The welfare of all farmed animals is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Act also contains a duty of care to animals; anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure the animal's welfare needs are met.
	The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 set minimum standards for all farm animals, including farmed fish. These regulations replaced the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000 on 1 October 2007. The new regulations are made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and are very similar to the previous regulations.
	In addition to the general requirements of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, we are working towards further improvements in fish welfare by other means.
	The Council of Europe's Standing Committee on the welfare of animals kept for farming purposes adopted a recommendation on fish in December 2005. It is now working on species specific appendices.
	DEFRA's research and development programme includes projects on certain aspects of fish welfare, and we will use the findings to support our objective to ensure high standards of fish welfare.

Avian Influenza

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to be able to establish the cause of the recent H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in East Anglia.

Jonathan R Shaw: A full epidemiological investigation is under way to consider the source of this outbreak, including tracings of any possible disease spread. At present, it is too early to draw any conclusions about the source of the outbreak, and all potential sources of infection are being investigated.
	A preliminary epidemiological report is being prepared and will be published shortly.

Avian Influenza: Disease Control

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of the recommendations contained in the Lessons Learned Report published following the outbreak of avian influenza last February have been implemented in full; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 November 2007
	The Lessons Learned report was published on 11 October and copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses. The recommendations in the report have all been accepted and have already been adopted in our response to the current foot and mouth disease, bluetongue and avian influenza outbreaks.
	Further to the debate in the House on 13 November, the hon. Gentleman is being sent a full breakdown of our response to each recommendation. Copies of this letter will also be made available in the Libraries of both Houses.

Avian Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to make an assessment of the effectiveness of his Department's response to the  (a) Essex A/H5N1 quarantine incident in 2005,  (b) the Fife A/H5N1 incident in 2006,  (c) the Norfolk A/H7N3 incident in 2006,  (d) the Suffolk A/H5N1 incident in 2007,  (e) the North Wales A/H7N2 incident in 2007 and  (f) the Norfolk A/H5N1 incident in 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has robust and tested disease control plans and instructions in place to address an avian influenza outbreak. These are set out in our exotic animal disease generic contingency plan, which is available on the DEFRA website. These plans and procedures are kept under close review and have been used effectively to deal with all outbreaks of avian influenza.
	We are committed to learning the lessons of all outbreaks. In October we published a Lessons Learned Report into the February H5N1 outbreak in poultry which concluded that our response was effective. The recommendations in the report have all been accepted and have already been adopted in our response to the current avian influenza, foot and mouth disease and bluetongue outbreaks.
	We will continue to learn lessons from all exotic disease outbreaks and by applying them, continue to improve our response.

Avian Influenza: Suffolk

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what inspections were undertaken by public agencies at Redgrave Park Farm in the last 12 months; which inspecting body performed each; and on what date.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 November 2007
	Animal health staff visited Redgrave Park Farm for salmonella sampling in March 2007. We are not aware of any other public agency inspections prior to the start of the avian influenza investigation on 11 November 2007.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when he expects a vaccine to be available to use to prevent the spread of bluetongue serotype 8; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what vaccines are available to prevent the spread of each of the 24 bluetongue serotypes; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  on what date he expects Merial to be able to resume working on a bluetongue vaccine at the Pirbright site; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what his estimate is of the likely cost to livestock farmers of purchasing a bluetongue vaccine; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: No suitable, inactivated vaccines are currently available for bluetongue serotype 8 (BTV-8), the strain of bluetongue currently in circulation in the east and south-east of England.
	However, we are aware of at least three vaccine companies which have a BTV-8 vaccine in development. Production at one of those companies, Merial at Pirbright, was temporarily halted after tests revealed a possible link between the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak and Pirbright, and the use of live virus at Merial was suspended. Following detailed inspections at the site, we are now satisfied that they have in place all the necessary measures to ensure strict biosecurity throughout the site. On 6 November, we permitted Merial to begin using FMD and bluetongue viruses for vaccine production at the site. However, this has not prevented Merial from continuing development of vaccine as their Pirbright site is primarily a production, rather than research, facility; Merial conduct the majority of their research elsewhere.
	On 1 November, my Department issued a tender to all three companies to supply between 10 and 20 million doses of vaccine. This tender closed on 15 November and an order will be placed as soon as possible, once we have fully assessed the bids submitted. This should ensure that a vaccine will be available for use by next summer.
	In keeping with the principles set out in the Bluetongue Control Strategy, which was developed in partnership with the farming industry, livestock keepers will be offered the opportunity to purchase vaccine from the bank. Once a decision on the order has been made, we will provide an estimate of the cost of the vaccine and other associated costs to livestock keepers.
	The BTV-8 vaccine we have tendered for will not offer any cross-protection against the other 23 bluetongue serotypes. Currently, there are suitable, inactivated vaccines available for bluetongue serotypes 1, 2 and 4. Live attenuated vaccines are available for other serotypes but there are significant potential risks associated with their use; so they would therefore not normally be considered as an initial control measure, in line with our policy of disease containment.
	We are developing a detailed plan with bluetongue scientific experts, representatives of the farming industry and others as to how a vaccination programme would work. Discussions are also taking place with the European Commission and other member states about possible approaches to vaccination.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has for the application of a bluetongue vaccine.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 20 November 2007
	On 1 November DEFRA issued a tender for between 10 and 20 million doses of bluetongue vaccine. The tender closed on 15 November and we are treating the assessment of bids as a high priority. Our aim is to ensure that a firm order is placed as soon as possible, and a vaccine is available by next summer.
	We are considering detailed bluetongue vaccination plans with representatives from the farming industry and scientific experts, so that we are fully prepared for when the vaccine is delivered. The issues that are being discussed include: whether to adopt a voluntary or compulsory approach; and whether there should be a phased approach to vaccination taking account of disease control priorities, such as certain high-risk areas or species.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made on developing an effective vaccine against bluetongue.

Jonathan R Shaw: Although there are no suitable, inactivated vaccines currently available for bluetongue serotype 8 (BTV-8), we are aware of at least three vaccine companies who have a BTV-8 vaccine in an advanced state of development. On 1 November, DEFRA issued a tender to all of those companies to supply between 10 and 20 million doses for a vaccine bank. This tender closed on 15 November and an order will be placed as soon as possible, once the bids have been fully assessed. This should ensure that a vaccine will be available for use by next summer.
	We are also developing a detailed plan with bluetongue scientific experts, representatives of the farming industry and others as to how a vaccination programme would work. Discussions are taking place with the European Commission and other member states about possible approaches to vaccination.

Bluetongue Disease: Prices

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the bluetongue outbreak on agriculture farmgate prices in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA's current estimate of the economic cost to the UK livestock sector of movement restrictions and controls on exports, imposed as a result of foot and mouth disease and bluetongue, is over 100 million.
	Disaggregated estimates of the impact on agricultural farmgate prices have not been made as these would be subject to considerable margins of error.

Brixham Fish Quay

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated rebuilding costs of Brixham Fish Quay are; when the rebuilding will be  (a) started and  (b) completed; how much EU funding under Objective 2 the scheme has received; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 27 November 2007
	In February 2007, the Marine and Fisheries Agency agreed to commit 2 million towards the renovation of Brixham Fish Market. Subsequently, we agreed that work on the project could begin in May 2007 and, exceptionally due to the importance of the project, that the project would be completed by October 2008, which is later than the formal Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance timetable.
	The Objective 2 programme is contributing 2 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) towards the cost of the wider Brixham regeneration scheme. This includes access to the fish quay and the provision of workspace for marine and fish-related businesses, but not to the fish quay itself.

Climate Change

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which representatives of his Department attended the Nerc-Quest workshop on climate change and uplands: science to inform adaptation, held in Bristol on 8-9 November.

Phil Woolas: It is my policy not to name officials. Two DEFRA scientists attended the Bristol meeting on 8-9 November.

Climate Change

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who represented the United Kingdom at the 27th meeting of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, held in Valencia on 12 to 17 November; whether the Government submitted any papers to the meeting; and if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting.

Phil Woolas: Five officials from my Department represented the United Kingdom at the 27th meeting of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) held in Valencia on 12 to 17 November.
	Comments from the UK government on the draft text of the IPCC Synthesis Report of the 4th Assessment Report were sent to the IPCC prior to the meeting as part of the IPCC's consultation process.
	The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the Synthesis Report was reviewed line by line and agreed by consensus by all governments to reflect the conclusion of the underlying 4th Assessment Report.
	The report shows unequivocally that the climate is warming and that humans are largely responsible for recent climate change. Climate change will continue to grow and its impacts are projected to become increasingly severe over the coming century if we do not take urgent and sustained action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The report shows that technologies already exist to make such deep cuts in emissions and that this can be done at a modest cost.
	The report is highly relevant and timely. It is a clear call for urgent international action. We hope it will be given full and detailed consideration next week in Bali, when formal negotiations will be launched to achieve a global agreement to tackle climate change by 2009.

Coastal Areas: Access

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many responses he has received to his consultation document on access to coastal areas; what assessment he has made of such responses; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 We received 749 responses to the coastal access consultation from a wide range of organisations and individuals, including 324 which were prompted by a campaign from the Ramblers' Association in support of Natural England s recommended approach that new legislation was the best way forward for improving coastal access.
	Analysis of the responses began before the consultation closed on 11 September. From the analysis we concluded that the overall weight of the responses was in support of Natural England's recommendation and we have announced our intention to introduce legislation to provide a right to walk around the English coast.
	We will publish a report shortly setting out an analysis of the detail of the responses to the consultation document.

Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects Natural England to report on the impact of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Jonathan R Shaw: In September 2007, Natural England published its first annual monitoring report on the right of access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The report is available on the Natural England website.

Energy: Plastic

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to promote the generation of energy from refuse plastic fuel.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State is taking a number of steps to stimulate markets for SRF. Budget 2007 announced that the Government would review the classes of equipment that qualified for enhanced capital allowances (ECAs) for 'good quality' combined heat and power (CHP) schemes to ensure that all the equipment necessary for CHP schemes to utilise SRF was included. The review of the equipment list is now complete and an order will be laid before Parliament shortly revising the energy technology criteria list within the CHP scheme arrangements. Further information will be available shortly from the ECA programme or HM Revenue and Customs websites.
	DEFRA is also working with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on proposals contained in its recent consultation, reform of the renewables obligation. If implemented, these could stimulate the co-firing of SRF with coal or biomass.
	In 2006, DEFRA organised a workshop to draw to the attention of industrial intensive energy users the potential for SRF as an alternative energy feedstock to gas. A number of procurements for waste treatment and disposal infrastructure are now considering producing SRF, some of which could be used as an industrial fuel.

Fish: Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how often he has  (a) used and  (b) attempted to use powers under Articles 7, 8 and 9 of Council Regulation 2371/220 to enable him to close areas to fishing; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: No recent attempts have been made by my Department to use these powers.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 18 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1431-32W, on fisheries, what information his Department holds on discard pilot projects undertaken by other EU member states; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) are partners in an EU project to evaluate the effectiveness of discard pilots across the Community. The work is not due to be completed until the spring of next year, but an interim report has been produced and I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the merits of fishing effort reduction in UK fisheries; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: In the absence of formal Commission proposals, my discussions with European colleagues thus far, concerning the effort management arrangements for next year, have not focused on issues specific to particular member states. I have however made clear that the UK will resist blunt cuts in days for 2008 and believe it is more important to focus on other ways of reducing fishing mortality, including through the operation of a real-time closure mechanism to protect concentrations of juvenile fish and the trialling of more selective gear.

Fisheries: Databases

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what targets he has set on the average time to enter fisheries data on to the fisheries database; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average time taken to enter fisheries data on to the fisheries database was in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) has a performance target of ensuring 90 per cent. of the information received on catches and fishing activity is entered onto the fisheries database within five working days of receipt of all necessary information.
	This target relates to data on the activity of vessels above 10 metres in length. These account for the majority of the fishing effort and catch in the areas that fall under the MFA's responsibility.
	Delays in the entry of data are recorded in terms of the time taken from the date of receipt of the information required to the date that the information is entered onto the fisheries database:
	
		
			  2003 2004 2005 2006 
			  Data relating to vessels of 10 metres and over 
			 Average delay (days) 4.7 2.2 2.0 2.9 
			 Percentage of data entered within five working days of receipt 79 93 95 90 
			  
			  Other data 
			 Average delay (days) 3.4 1.9 3.4 11.3 
		
	
	The performance with regards to other data (primarily related to data received from sales notes related to activity by small vessels of 10 metres and under) has been affected by the introduction of the requirement for registration of buyers and sellers of fish from September 2005. This has led to a significant increase in the volume of such data being received for processing by the MFA during 2006. New procedures have been introduced and resources within the MFA have been reallocated to help deal with this increased workload while ensuring that the key performance target continues to be met.

Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the most recent estimate is for the time by which the EU discards atlas will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Regrettably, the EU Discards Atlas project has still not been put out to tender and it is therefore not yet clear when it will commence. The Commission's Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) is however holding a meeting in early December, which will be chaired by a scientist from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), to identify the EU fisheries with the highest discard levels.

Fishing Catches

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to reduce North Sea fish discards; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	In line with the latest scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the UK is proposing a modest increase of 15 per cent. in the North sea cod total allowable catch (TAC) for 2008. We believe this will reduce the scale of discarding, while the days at sea limitations under the EU's cod recovery plan will ensure that there is no additional targeting of the stock.
	At the same time, the Government are developing with the UK industry a series of alternative measures designed to reduce fishing mortality. These include the piloting of a real-time closure mechanism in Scottish waters, where vessels are required to move grounds if the proportion of smaller fish in the catch exceeds a pre-determined maximum. Additionally, more selective fishing practices, developed in consultation with the fishing industry, are being commercially trialled with a view to more widespread application if successful.

Fishing Vessels

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many 10-metre and under fishing vessels were registered in the UK in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 1 November 2007, there were 4,979 10-metre or under fishing vessels registered in the United Kingdom (excluding islands). The data for the years 1997 to 2006 (as at 31 December of each year) are in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 10 metre and under 
			 1997 5,474 
			 1998 5,487 
			 1999 5,409 
			 2000 5,273 
			 2001 5,227 
			 2002 5,287 
			 2003 5,113 
			 2004 5,092 
			 2005 4,834 
			 2006 4,896

Foot and Mouth Disease

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his assessment is of the effect on market prices of pedigree livestock of  (a) the foot and mouth and  (b) the bluetongue outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA's current estimate of the economic cost to the UK livestock sector of the movement restrictions and the ban on exports, imposed as a result of foot and mouth disease and bluetongue, is over 100 million. Disaggregated estimates of the impact on market prices of pedigree livestock have not been made.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether officials have been  (a) disciplined and  (b) dismissed as a result of the escape of the foot and mouth virus from the Pirbright laboratory; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 21 November 2007
	No officials have been disciplined or dismissed as a result of the escape of the foot and mouth virus from the Pirbright laboratory. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)-led investigation did not apportion blame to officials.
	It concluded that it was not possible to identify which of three possible sourcesthe Institute of Animal Health, Merial or Stabilitech was the origin of the release. The issue of fault and enforcement action is for Surrey Trading Standards.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Compensation

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has to compensate lowland livestock farmers for losses incurred as a result of restrictions introduced in respect of the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 20 November2007
	We are acutely aware of the difficulties facing the industry at this time. Compensation is paid at the market value for animals and goods, which are seized and destroyed for disease control purposes. However, it is a long established principle that the Government do not meet the costs of consequential losses, which must be borne instead by the industry.
	To help the industry at this difficult time, we announced on 8 October a package of assistance worth 12.5 million. This is to support those livestock farmers most severely affected by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD), including those in the restriction areas and hill farmers. Support has also been included for meat promotion and farming charities, and this will benefit all farmers. The process of implementing the support package is well under way and some elements have almost been completed.
	The most effective and sustainable way to improve the position for farmers is a speedy resumption of exports. A new European Commission Decision this week will allow much of Britain to start exporting meat again under normal community rules, and with appropriate certification. We are doing all we can to obtain FMD free status at the earliest possible date in January.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Cumbria

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many claims in Cumbria arising from the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak were settled in each year from 2001 to 2007; and how many are outstanding.

Jonathan R Shaw: The numbers of claims brought in Cumbria following the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak, which were settled either in court or by an out of court settlement, are as follows:
	(i) 405 claims were settled in relation to animal valuation; and
	(ii) 388 claims were settled in relation to cleansing and disinfection.
	Establishing the number of claims that were settled each year from 2001 to 2007 could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	There are still three outstanding claims in Cumbria. In each case, negotiations between DEFRA and the claimants are ongoing and matters currently rest with the claimants.
	In addition, there are four farmers who have not yet submitted a formal claim for damage to their properties during 2001.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Disease Control

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely timetable for each measure put in place to control  (a) foot and mouth disease and  (b) bluetongue.

Jonathan R Shaw: For foot and mouth disease (FMD), the FMD Surveillance Zone was lifted on 5 November. On 6 November the EU agreed to relax the current FMD export restrictions on meat and meat products. On 19 November the FMD Restricted Zone was lifted.
	The EU decision has split the UK into the following three areas:
	1. FMD Free Export AreaMeat and products originating from susceptible animals in this area will be eligible for export under normal Community rules subject to certification.
	2. FMD Restricted Export AreaMeat and products originating from susceptible animals in this area will be eligible for export provided they meet certain conditions, including providing documentation confirming the completion of a 21 day standstill and residency period (7 day standstill in the case of pigs).
	3. FMD No Export AreaMeat and products originating from susceptible animals in this area cannot be allowed to be exported.
	A map detailing these areas is available on the DEFRA website and I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The FMD Restricted Zone was lifted when the new EU Decision came into force on 19 November. If no further amendments are made to the EU decision, the provisions on meat and meat products are expected to apply until mid December, and those on live animals until the end of the year.
	A further surveillance programme of sample herds and flocks is to be carried out to confirm disease freedom with the European Commission. Subject to the satisfactory outcome of this surveillance, restoration of international disease freedom under OIE criteria could be considered at the earliest in January 2008.
	For bluetongue, the timetable will be dependent on developments in the disease situation. OIE guidelines state that, following confirmation of bluetongue disease, a surveillance programme has to demonstrate no evidence of Bluetongue circulating in the country or zone over the course of two years before restrictions can be lifted. However, there is limited scope within EU legislation to amend the size of zones in this period.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Disease Control

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government have put in place a revised national contingency plan following the recent foot and mouth outbreak.

Jonathan R Shaw: The national contingency plan is published and laid before Parliament annually. It was last laid in December 2006. The next plan will reflect the results of a consultation exercise which concluded on 11 October 2007, and lessons learned from the recent foot and mouth disease outbreak. At present, we plan to lay it before Parliament in December.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Finance

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his latest estimate is of the cost of the foot and mouth outbreak to the  (a) public purse and  (b) agriculture industry.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA's current estimate of the economic cost to the UK livestock sector of movement restrictions and controls on exports, imposed as a result of foot and mouth disease (FMD) and bluetongue, is over 100 million.
	As at 12 October, the total forecast cost of the FMD and bluetongue outbreaks to DEFRA and its agencies was approximately 47 million.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average fee was for administration of a warm front voucher in the latest period for which figures are available; how the fee was calculated; which organisation receives the fee revenues; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Fees for administrating the 300 voucher scheme are paid to eaga plc, which successfully won the contract to manage the Warm Front scheme following a competitive tendering exercise. The fees were set following a proposal put forward by eaga, which was scrutinised by DEFRA procurement officials to ensure value for money was obtained. For reasons of commercial sensitivity, we are unable to provide specific details on the value of these management fees.

Inland Waterways

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work his Department has undertaken with the National Audit Office to respond to recommendation four of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's report on British Waterways; and when he expects to make that response.

Jonathan R Shaw: The National Audit Office has been in close contact with British Waterways about the information required and plans to finalise a response to the Committee's request next week. This Department has been kept up-to-date with progress.

Ivory

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, column 245, on ivory, what plans his Department has to undertake research to identify the scale and nature of ivory trade within the UK to inform the EU's response to the ivory trade questionnaire issued by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Joan Ruddock: The nature of many of the questions will require EU countries to provide relatively simple data about the import and export of ivory. The draft EU response will be discussed at the next EU Management Committee on trade in wild fauna and flora on 14 December in Brussels. Once we have seen the draft we will provide additional information as necessary.

Landfill

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reasons are for his Department's participation in the Environmental Permitting Programme; and what assessment he has made of the programme's effect on landfill sites and former landfill sites.

Joan Ruddock: The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 were laid in Parliament in October 2007. They provide an opportunity to reduce administrative burdens on business and regulators by replacing the existing waste management licensing and pollution prevention and control (PPC) systems with a single, simple, radically streamlined environmental permitting and compliance system for England and Wales. The regulations will maintain existing levels of protection of the environment and human health for waste management licensed and PPC permitted sites, including landfill sites and former landfills which have licences or permits.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the regulatory impact assessment that accompanies the regulations and which is published on our website.

Livestock: Diseases

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on contagious diseases affecting livestock; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government are working closely with the devolved administrations to co-ordinate the disease control response. Officials in the Northern Ireland Executive are actively involved in policy decisions for foot and mouth disease (FMD), bluetongue and now avian influenza, and in reviewing the disease control strategies.

Marine and Fisheries Agency: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funds he plans to allocate to the Marine and Fisheries Agency in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: As an Executive Agency of DEFRA, the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) participates in our business planning and budgeting process. These are currently in hand for the period covered by the recent comprehensive spending review (CSR07), namely 2008-09 to 2010-11. The allocations for the MFA have therefore not yet been finalised.

Meat: Exports

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from which regions of the UK it has become possible to export meat products again following the lifting of the foot and mouth disease ban.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 6 November the European Union (EU) agreed to relax the current foot and mouth disease (FMD) export restrictions on meat and meat products. On 19 November the FMD Restricted Zone was lifted and the new EU Decision came into force. If no further amendments are made to the EU Decision, the provisions on meat and meat products are expected to apply until mid December. The Decision has split the UK into three areas for the purposes of EU trade in meat and meat products:
	1. FMD Free Export AreaMeat and products originating from susceptible animals in this area will be eligible for export under normal Community rules subject to certification. The FMD Free Export Area includes all parts of Great Britain, except those which lie within the FMD Restricted Export Area and FMD No Export Area as described below.
	2. FMD Restricted Export AreaMeat and products originating from susceptible animals in this area will be eligible for export provided they meet certain conditions, including documentation confirming the completion of a 21 day standstill and residency period (a 7 day standstill in the case of pigs). The FMD Restricted Export Area includes:
	Administrative unit
	Brighton and Hove
	Medway
	Milton Keynes
	Thurrock
	West Berkshire
	Bedfordshire
	East Sussex county
	Hertfordshire county
	Kent
	Oxfordshire county
	Administrative unit
	Wiltshire county
	Gloucestershire county
	Cambridgeshire county
	Northamptonshire county
	Warwickshire county
	Swindon
	Luton
	Southend on Sea
	3. FMD No Export AreaMeat and products originating from susceptible animals in this area are not allowed to be exported. The FMD No Export Area includes:
	Administrative Unit
	Bracknell Forest
	City of Southampton
	Reading
	Slough
	Swindon
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Wokingham
	City of Portsmouth
	Buckinghamshire county
	Hampshire county
	Surrey
	West Sussex county
	London
	Further information, including a map of the FMD Restricted Zone and the restrictions that apply, can be found on the DEFRA website. A further map, which highlights the three different export areas is also available.

Milk: Prices

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on recent trends in farm-gate milk prices.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 Farm gate prices are at their highest levels since 1996. Concerns about animal disease notwithstanding, the situation in the dairy sector is considerably more positive than it has been for some time.
	While commodity prices appear to have peaked and there is likely to be a consequential effect on farm gate prices in due course, given increasing demand for dairy products, prices are not expected to fall to earlier levels at least in the short to medium term.

Nature Conservation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  under what timetable habitat action plans will be produced to instigate the recovery of habitats on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority list;
	(2)  whether baseline information on the status of the species and habitats on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority list has been obtained;
	(3)  when progress on the conservation of the species and habitats on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority list will be assessed;
	(4)  under what timetable species action plans will be produced to instigate the recovery of species on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority list.

Joan Ruddock: I announced a new UK list of priority species and habitats on 28 August 2007. Action plans for many of these, such as the otter and lowland heathland, have already been in place for a number of years which has resulted in significant recovery.
	The development of action plans for new priority habitats is a devolved matter and each country will carry this out to their own timetable. However, recent discussions between the countries indicate that Habitat Groups and lead partners will be appointed during 2008, with the preparation of objectives/targets by early 2009 and the completion of habitat management guidance (to take account of relevant species needs) by the end of April 2009. Implementation of the existing priority habitat action plans will continue in parallel with this process.
	Baseline information on the status of the priority species and habitats was taken from experts to show the degree of threat and rate of decline in habitats and species in the UK to substantiate the listing. Good information was available for some, but for others, it was more limited. Information gaps will be addressed through a UK surveillance strategy being developed by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Experts also provided information on the importance of the species and habitats from an international perspective.
	The next reporting round under the Biodiversity Action Plan will take place in late 2008 and will assess progress on the original list of priority species and habitats. Subsequent rounds will report progress on the new list and we will need to consider with the devolved administrations how UK progress is to be assessed in the light of deliberations currently being undertaken at the country level.
	Not all species will need discrete plans as the UK Biodiversity Partnership is adopting the ecosystem approach which focuses on causes rather than symptoms. There is no specified timetable for the completion of the action plans but experts across the UK Biodiversity Partnership are already being consulted on which species would require individual management action and which would benefit from collective action. Natural England, as lead delivery body in England, will then prioritise the species found in England and identify lead partners where appropriate. Similar arrangements are being put in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with joint working between countries where this will assist in securing conservation benefits.

Nature Conservation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the species on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority list occur in England; and how many of these were listed due to severe decline.

Joan Ruddock: 931 of the UK priority species occur in England, of which 283 qualified for listing owing to severe decline.

Nature Conservation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which habitats on the UK biodiversity action plan priority list occur in England.

Joan Ruddock: 57 habitats of the 65 on the UK list of priority species and habitats occur in England. They comprise woodlands, lowland agricultural habitats, heathlands, wetlands, upland habitats, coasts and seas. For the first time, recognition has been given to the critical role of several habitats new to the listing, including traditional orchards and ponds. A full list of the habitats in England follows:
	BAP Habitats in England
	Aquifer fed naturally fluctuating water bodies
	Arable field margins
	Blanket bog
	Blue mussel beds
	Calaminarian grasslands
	Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh
	Coastal saltmarsh
	Coastal sand dunes
	Coastal vegetated shingle
	Estuarine rocky habitats
	Eutrophic standing waters
	Fragile sponge and anthozoan communities on subtidal rocky habitats
	Hedgerows
	Horse mussel beds
	Inland rock outcrop and scree habitats
	Intertidal boulder communities
	Intertidal chalk
	Intertidal mudflats
	Limestone pavements
	Lowland beech and yew woodland
	Lowland calcareous grassland
	Lowland dry acid grassland
	Lowland fens
	Lowland heathland
	Lowland meadows
	Lowland mixed deciduous woodland
	Lowland raised bog
	Maerl beds
	Maritime cliff and slopes
	Mesotrophic lakes
	Mountain heaths and willow scrub
	Mud habitats in deep water
	Oligotrophic and dystrophic lakes
	Open mosaic habitats on previously developed land
	Peat and clay exposures
	Ponds
	Purple moor grass and rush pastures
	Reedbeds
	Rivers
	Sabellaria alveolate reefs
	Sabellaria spinulosa reefs
	Saline lagoons
	Seagrass beds
	Sheltered muddy gravels
	Subtidal chalk
	Subtidal sands and gravels
	Tide-swept channels
	Traditional orchards
	Upland birchwoods
	Upland calcareous grassland
	Upland flushes, fens and swamps
	Upland hay meadows
	Upland heathland
	Upland mixed ashwoods
	Upland oakwood
	Wet woodland
	Wood-pasture and parkland

Nature Conservation: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contribution the UK is making to  (a) improving species conservation and  (b) tackling non-native invasive species in the Overseas Territories; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Government's aim is to work in partnership with the Overseas Territory Governments to assist them in achieving, among other things, the objectives set out in individual Overseas Territories Environment Charters. In doing so the Government provide access to funding to improve species conservation from a variety of sources, for example: the Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP), jointly managed by the FCO and DFID; the Darwin Initiative; the International Sustainable Development Fund (ISDF); the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP); and the Flagship Species Fund, administered by Fauna and Flora International, but supported by DEFRA.
	On non-native invasive species, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation, has undertaken a review of non-native species in the UK Overseas Territories. This review is being used to guide various projects relating to invasive species in Overseas Territories. In June 2007 JNCC also hosted a workshop on invasive species in the Overseas Territories bringing together a range of stakeholders to share information, and to discuss future collaboration in this area of work.
	Elsewhere, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, (a DEFRA sponsored body) has undertaken a number of separate initiatives, including a programme of seed collecting initiated in four Territories (British Virgin Islands, St. Helena, Ascension and Falkland Islands), and DMA banking of the Flora of South Georgia.

Nature Conservation: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what animal welfare and protection provisions apply in the Overseas Territories, with particular reference to nesting marine turtles.

Jonathan R Shaw: Animal welfare and protection provisions are matters for individual Overseas Territory Governments. With regard to marine turtles, in 2001 DEFRA and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) jointly commissioned the Marine Turtle Research Group (MTRG) to undertake a research project on the Status and Exploitation of Marine Turtles in the UK Caribbean Overseas Territories (TCOT). The resultant report, published in 2004, outlines the diversity of legislation relating to the protection, harvest and sale of marine turtles.
	In relation to the British Indian Ocean Territory, the UK is a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Conservation of Marine Turtles in the Indian Ocean and South East Asia (IOSEA). The MoU puts in place a framework through which States of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asian region, as well as other concerned States, can work together to conserve and replenish depleted marine turtle populations for which they share responsibility. Since 2002 the Government have provided voluntary contributions totalling around 150,000 to fund projects that fall under the MoU.

Nature Conservation: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many extinctions of species have been recorded in the Overseas Territories in the last five years.

Joan Ruddock: According to advice from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation, there has been one extinction in the last five years in Her Majesty's Overseas Territories namely the St. Helena Olive  Nesiota elliptica. The last cultivated St. Helena Olive tree, an endemic to the island of the same name, died in 2003 on St. Helena; the last wild individual died in 1994.

North Sea: Total Allowable Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his estimate is of the appropriate level for total allowable catch in the North Sea for  (a) herring,  (b) cod,  (c) haddock,  (d) whiting,  (e) plaice and  (f) sole in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: In the light of the latest scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), in the current EU/Norway negotiations, we are seeking the following changes to the total allowable catches (TAC) in the North sea for 2008:
	 (a) to limit the cut in herring to 35 per cent.;
	 (b) a 15 per cent. increase in cod;
	 (c) to limit the cut in haddock to 15 per cent., in line with the joint management plan;
	 (d) to limit the cut in whiting to 15 per cent.; and
	 (e) to set the plaice TAC in line with the joint management plan.
	In addition, in the discussions surrounding the December EU Fisheries Council, we will be seeking to limit the cut in the North sea sole TAC to 15 per cent.  (f).

Penguins: Falkland Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance the Government has offered the Falklands government in tackling the decline in the number of rockhopper penguins.

Joan Ruddock: The UK Government continue to provide assistance, when requested, for example, through the Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP), which is administered jointly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID). OTEP has been established to support the Overseas Territories in developing and implementing action plans under their respective Environment Charters. The UK Government have not provided assistance specifically relating to conservation of rockhopper penguins. However, I understand that a bid to OTEP from the Falkland Islands on this issue is likely to be made in the next round of bidding. If so this will be considered alongside all the other projects received by OTEP.

Plastics: Packaging

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of seeking the introduction of tax on plastic bags to encourage the use of recyclable alternatives; and what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this matter.

Joan Ruddock: The Government have no current plans for a plastic bags tax, although the Chancellor keeps all taxes under review. Any decision on a levy on plastic bags would be for the Treasury to make.
	We are interested in reducing the environmental impact of all single-use carrier bags, not just plastic bags. The Waste Strategy for England 2007, launched in May, aims to make single-use carrier bags a thing of the past, and we are actively working on the best ways to achieve this objective.

Poultry

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many poultry are registered on the GB Poultry Register in the avian influenza  (a) protection zone,  (b) surveillance zone and  (c) restricted zone; and how many free range poultry there are in each zone;
	(2)  how many holdings are registered on the GB Poultry Register in the avian influenza  (a) protection zone,  (b) surveillance zone and  (c) restricted zone; and how many free range holdings there are in each zone;
	(3)  how many  (a) poultry and  (b) free range poultry are registered on the GB Poultry Register in each county;
	(4)  how many  (a) holdings and  (b) free range holdings are registered on the GB Poultry Register in each county.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 20 November 2007
	On 14 November 2007 the following free range premises were registered on the GB Poultry Register (GBPR):
	(i) Protection Zone: 5 premises (including the infected premises) with 36,802 birds. One of these premises, the infected premises, was registered as free range and had a total of 6,800 birds.
	(ii) Surveillance Zone: an additional 92 premises with 4,085,476 birds. 38 of these premises were registered as free range and had a total of 167,397 birds.
	(iii) Restricted Zone: an additional 1,372 premises with 24,987,220 birds. 473 of these premises were registered as free range and had a total of 2,777, 143 birds.
	Not all birds on free range premises will necessarily be free range.
	There are a total 24,151 premises registered on the GBPR with 273,285,189 birds. Of these 10,129 premises are registered as being free range and have a total of 44,830,869 birds.
	The following table shows the number of premises and birds (in total and for free range premises) in each county/administrative area of Great Britain:
	
		
			  Name  Premises  Total birds  Free range premises  Total birds on free range premises 
			 Barnsley District 72 126,583 34 20,448 
			 Birmingham District 14 56,202 6 8,003 
			 Bolton District 22 144,405 11 64,787 
			 Bradford District 77 126,933 47 15,987 
			 Bury District 21 195,230 14 2,041 
			 Calderdale District 57 12,402 35 8,453 
			 Coventry District 16 20,513 7 2,251 
			 Doncaster District 53 120,611 24 82,394 
			 Dudley District 4 377 2 311 
			 Gateshead District 17 30,357 6 24,586 
			 Kirklees District 84 259,240 46 51,987 
			 Knowsley District 6 18,643 4 2,843 
			 Leeds District 79 424,860 34 124,749 
			 Liverpool District 8 633 3 97 
			 Manchester District 4 296 2 5 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne District 9 2,284 3 1,425 
			 North Tyneside District 15 8,714 2 100 
			 Oldham District 14 9,540 6 2,038 
			 Rochdale District 18 18,494 10 14,923 
			 Rotherham District 61 195,963 29 42,895 
			 Salford District 3 1,907 0 0 
			 Sandwell District 2 224 1 214 
			 Sefton District 13 40,486 4 11,101 
			 Sheffield District 41 36,303 19 6,247 
			 Solihull District 21 165,031 12 35,323 
			 South Tyneside District 4 1,006 0 0 
			 Stockport District 9 3,541 5 351 
			 St. Helens District 13 22,711 3 4,708 
			 Sunderland District 23 15,648 9 3,399 
			 Tameside District 9 3,154 3 1,596 
			 Trafford District 12 283,561 4 372 
			 Wakefield District 88 1,290,063 24 3,596 
			 Walsall District 10 18,075 4 1,806 
			 Wigan District 19 15,340 10 11,580 
			 Wirral District 14 43,193 10 37,673 
			 Wolverhampton District 3 162 1 148 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 63 616,316 32 86,687 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 22 62,190 12 2,801 
			 Blackpool 2 154 0 0 
			 Bournemouth 3 50 2 47 
			 Bracknell Forest 16 27,232 9 1,080 
			 Brighton and Hove 14 9,547 7 1,121 
			 City of Bristol 9 1,104 5 1,033 
			 City of Derby 9 40,819 3 204 
			 City of Kingston upon Hull 3 1,044 1 730 
			 City of Leicester 3 71 1 48 
			 City of Nottingham 2 374 1 124 
			 City of Peterborough 36 229,173 14 27,311 
			 City of Southampton 9 1,027 2 726 
			 City of Stoke-on-Trent 6 233 1 19 
			 County of Herefordshire 480 13,107,525 185 668,956 
			 Darlington 24 279,273 8 17,619 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 406 4,677,553 149 478,531 
			 Halton 9 15,030 5 14,151 
			 Hartlepool 14 651,864 1 200 
			 Luton 0 0 0 0 
			 Medway 17 6,877 4 508 
			 Middlesbrough 2 419 1 359 
			 Milton Keynes 29 40,267 9 4,249 
			 North East Lincolnshire 14 26,990 6 4,422 
			 North Lincolnshire 126 7,173,846 30 63,608 
			 Poole 8 691 5 524 
			 Reading 4 381 0 0 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 27 49,531 15 1,509 
			 Rutland 56 227,231 23 85,553 
			 Slough 0 0 0 0 
			 Southend-on-Sea 2 424 0 0 
			 South Gloucestershire 85 1,018,013 39 31,462 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 16 23,751 10 6,370 
			 Swindon 30 55,683 12 7,222 
			 Telford and Wrekin 57 1,300,848 21 366,670 
			 Thurrock 10 6,188 5 2,000 
			 Torbay 15 25,350 7 2,257 
			 Warrington 26 31,588 9 8,080 
			 West Berkshire 123 497,501 50 223,917 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 17 107,998 9 66,848 
			 Wokingham 26 227,714 9 30,069 
			 York 40 317,660 14 27,556 
			 Angus 115 1,489,543 38 193,903 
			 Clackmannanshire 20 1,013,387 6 9,989 
			 Dundee City 5 14,827 2 26 
			 East Ayrshire 48 303,720 8 45,357 
			 East Dunbartonshire 7 5,050 4 675 
			 East Renfrewshire 7 2,996 5 936 
			 Falkirk 15 49,356 7 1,756 
			 Glasgow City 4 397 1 203 
			 Inverclyde 6 12,730 3 3,980 
			 Midlothian 24 129,443 5 64,511 
			 North Lanarkshire 9 16,111 5 1,234 
			 Perth and Kinross 217 2,760,605 66 454,441 
			 Renfrewshire 5 7,220 1 82 
			 Scottish Borders 284 4,252,288 77 717,256 
			 South Lanarkshire 67 206,164 27 6,364 
			 Stirling 53 74,966 16 16,461 
			 West Dunbartonshire 4 2,243 1 143 
			 West Lothian 27 1,364,711 10 21,064 
			 Abertawe-Swansea 31 403,652 12 3,152 
			 Blaenau Gwent-Blaenau Gwent 4 390 3 347 
			 Bro Morgannwg-the Vale of Glamorgan 30 63,732 15 49,326 
			 Caerffili-Caerphilly 22 36,248 16 35,998 
			 Casnewydd-Newport 6 30,595 3 29,415 
			 Castell-Nedd Port Talbot-Neath Port Talbot 22 2,680 16 2,000 
			 Conwy-Conwy 50 333,970 26 118,873 
			 Merthyr Tudful-Merthyr Tydfil 5 348 2 221 
			 Pen-y-bont Ar Ogwr-Bridgend 18 17,905 9 6,886 
			 Powys-Powys 258 4,439,882 112 1,226,658 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taf-Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 50 5,938 20 3,406 
			 Sir Ddinbych- Denbighshire 86 444,091 38 123,514 
			 Air Fynwy-Monmouthshire 134 1,993,274 60 227,657 
			 Sir Gaerfyrddin- Carmarthenshire 128 980,473 59 68,364 
			 Sir Y Fflint-Flintshire 59 860,094 23 8,020 
			 Tor-Faen-Torfaen 17 45,743 12 5,183 
			 Wrecsam-Wrexham 67 612,706 34 21,746 
			 Isle of Wight 95 132,664 48 63,396 
			 Sir Ynys Mon-Isle of Anglesey 68 1,950,210 27 50,510 
			 Gwynedd-Gwynedd 106 366,191 70 24,338 
			 Caerdydd-Cardiff 4 629 1 115 
			 Sir Ceredigion- Ceredigion 56 34,762 30 6,474 
			 Sir Benfro- Pembrokeshire 106 342,286 57 277,704 
			 North Somerset 72 214,517 42 116,601 
			 Highland 196 751,959 92 84,811 
			 Moray 68 509,719 20 82,818 
			 Orkney Islands 39 5,744 35 4,664 
			 Na h-Eileanan an Iar 16 3,344 15 3,264 
			 Argyll and Bute 82 112,644 37 23,331 
			 Aberdeenshire 279 3,499,893 108 427,364 
			 Fife 133 2,623,303 41 524,908 
			 Aberdeen City 9 2,783 4 1,163 
			 City of Edinburgh 24 858,893 2 52 
			 East Lothian 84 625,768 29 179,292 
			 Shetland Islands 9 1,399 8 1,335 
			 North Ayrshire 28 274,886 10 5,569 
			 South Ayrshire 44 216,642 14 126,518 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 300 3,407,520 91 603,708 
			 City of Portsmouth 3 65 0 0 
			 City of Plymouth 7 822 6 820 
			 Bedfordshire County 188 1,102,864 79 72,369 
			 Buckinghamshire County 236 2,861,310 113 287,025 
			 Cambridgeshire County 377 4,718,273 150 447,257 
			 Cheshire County 340 4,017,871 136 415,570 
			 Cumbria County 597 4,343,446 294 421,901 
			 Derbyshire County 405 4,253,921 200 252,680 
			 Dorset County 558 3,428,554 271 633,402 
			 Durham County 203 1,486,378 88 258,672 
			 East Sussex County 319 1,130,193 176 399,716 
			 Essex County 618 6,789,198 230 467,974 
			 Gloucestershire County 457 4,700,216 181 716,833 
			 Hampshire County 736 6,143,459 263 1,617,759 
			 Hertfordshire County 237 985,375 93 169,892 
			 Kent County 544 4,935,853 241 1,273,725 
			 Lancashire County 560 6,655,582 230 2,954,350 
			 Leicestershire County 327 3,510,332 128 824,723 
			 Lincolnshire County 952 23,061,182 365 4,491,728 
			 Norfolk County 1160 23,703,003 385 2,221,441 
			 Northamptonshire County 292 3,175,267 123 618,409 
			 North Yorkshire County 1104 13,587,227 414 2,780,175 
			 Nottinghamshire County 338 6,231,030 120 1,560,430 
			 Oxfordshire County 425 3,950,155 165 531,965 
			 Shropshire County 634 12,883,131 270 1,253,384 
			 Somerset County 737 6,207,234 380 958,205 
			 Staffordshire County 387 2,598,506 181 1,071,866 
			 Suffolk County 848 13,341,665 311 1,695,777 
			 Surrey County 273 582,494 132 252,826 
			 Warwickshire County 294 3,341,129 133 789,242 
			 West Sussex County 402 2,128,925 157 349,252 
			 Wiltshire County 513 5,966,496 170 481,964 
			 Worcestershire County 369 2,314,761 166 533,969 
			 Greater London Authority 79 98,225 35 78,794 
			 Northumberland County 349 1,504,538 125 255,379 
			 Devon County 1,179 12,102,009 627 3,628,352 
			 Cornwall County 538 3,105,506 302 1,152,390 
			 Isles of Scilly 8 2,535 7 1,335 
			 Total 24,110 273,434,179 10,120 44,821,641 
			 Unknown county 41 51,010 9 9,228 
		
	
	Some premises cannot currently be assigned a county due to the submission of insufficient and/or inaccurate geographical information. Therefore totals in this table will differ from those quoted above.
	These are the totals 'normally' stocked and therefore do not represent the actual number likely to be present on any specific day.

Recycling

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what incentives the Government has put in place to encourage households to reduce household waste and recycle more.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 27 November 2007
	Following a public consultation exercise over the summer, we announced that the Climate Change Bill will provide a power for local authorities to pilot incentives for household waste minimisation and recycling. I announced more detailed proposals on 15 November, which for the first time, will allow approved authorities to recognise more effectively the efforts of those householders who reduce, reuse and recycle their waste, and provide an incentive to those who currently do not.
	A maximum of five local authorities will be able to pilot schemes and councils will be able to come forward with their own plans to fit local circumstances, for approval by the Secretary of State. This approach will allow us to monitor the impacts of incentives in England and report back to Parliament before a decision is made as to whether to roll this power out more widely.

Recycling: Standards

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the quality and value of recycled material of separating waste for recycling.

Joan Ruddock: Market values for recovered materials depend on the supply and demand conditions in end-use markets (which may be overseas) as well as factors including volume, the price of substitute materials (including virgin materials), energy prices and other commodity prices.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) produces a monthly Materials Pricing Report, available on its website, which focuses on prices for recovered materials. This indicates that higher prices are achieved for materials which have been effectively sorted into economically valuable components. For example, the market value of recycled aluminium cans is around 700-750 per tonne compared to 150 per tonne for mixed cans.
	WRAP's advice is that, at the present time, kerbside sorting delivers better quality materials to the marketplace and with lower levels of contamination compared to co-mingled collections of recyclables. This improved quality may not currently be reflected in market prices. However an advantage of kerbside sorting is that the benefits from the sale of materials tend to accrue directly to the local authority selling the materials while co-mingled schemes involve the payment of gate fees for additional sorting.

Seabed: Scotland

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive on changes to the control of the sea bed up to the 200 nautical miles limit around Scotland, with particular reference to the proposed Marine Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: During the preparation of the Marine Bill White Paper and the draft Marine Bill, DEFRA has received representations from the devolved administrations regarding the appropriate balance of responsibilities in the UK marine area. In coming to a view on legislation, the Government work closely with the devolved administrations. Proposals for a UK Marine Bill will be brought forward in due course.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Standards

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of sites of special scientific interest which were in favourable condition in each year for which records are available; what steps are being taken to ensure the Government reaches its Public Service Agreement target to bring 95 per cent. of nationally important wildlife sites into favourable condition by 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 The public service agreement target to bring 95 per cent. of sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) land into favourable or recovering condition was set in 2000. The first round of the condition assessment programme was completed in 2003 and showed that 56.9 per cent. of SSSI area was in target condition. The figures for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 (as at 31 March) were 62.9 per cent., 67.4 per cent., 72.3 per cent. and 75.4 per cent. respectively. At 20 November 2007, 77.14 per cent. of SSSI area was in target condition.
	We are working closely with our delivery partners, including Natural England and the Environment Agency, towards delivery of the SSSI PSA target and are closely monitoring progress and addressing any issues that might occur. We are confident that the 2010 target of 95 per cent. remains achievable.

Tigers: India

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to seek to prevent the extinction of the Indian tiger; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: Since 2000 the UK has committed around 500,000 to tiger conservation. This is through our membership of the Global Tiger Forum, where we are the only non range state member, and through support to '21st Century Tiger', which is a wild tiger conservation partnership between the Zoological Society of London and Global Tiger Patrol.
	In addition, the Government funded and organised a wildlife crime workshop in India in 2006 in support of the UK-India Sustainable Development Dialogue. Law enforcement officers and conservationists from the UK and India identified poaching and illegal trade as a major cause of the sharp drop in tiger numbers. The workshop recommended that each state government draw up and implement an action plan to end poaching through better surveillance and imposition of tough penalties. To assist in this process the Government have provided financial assistance to the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) to conduct a series of training and capacity building sessions to officials from state forest departments, police and customs. Around 270 officials have been trained on issues in relation to trade in endangered species, such as the tiger.

Waste Management

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with local authorities about the management of waste; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 My Department has discussions regularly with local authorities about a wide range of issues concerned with waste management.
	The Government set out their vision for sustainable waste management in Waste Strategy for England 2007, published in May. Local authorities play a key role in delivering this national strategy and both Ministers and officials from my Department have engaged with authorities on the strategy's development and will continue to do so as it is implemented and delivered.

Water: Standards

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the classification of bathing water between 2016 and 2020 under the criteria outlined in Article 5(4) of Directive 2006/7/EC; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 30W.
	Since we expect that all designated bathing waters will achieve the 'sufficient' classification under the revised Bathing Water Directive 2006/7/EC, by the end of the 2015 bathing season, we do not intend to make use of Article 5(4) of the directive.

TREASURY

Academies Review

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which academies will be studied by the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit as part of its Academies Review; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The joint PMDU/DCSF review of the Academies programme is looking at how the Academies programme is meeting the objectives of turning around attainment in underperforming schools and how the programme is addressing a culture of underachievement and low aspirations in some of the most disadvantaged communities. Officials are studying progress across the full Academy programme.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the agreement between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the National Audit Office (NAO) that governs the NAO's access to personal data held by HMRC.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The NAO derive their authority from four main Acts of Parliament; these are the Exchequer and Audit Department Acts 1866 and 1921, the National Audit (NAO) Act 1983 and the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. These pieces of legislation govern the NAO's access to personal data held by HMRC. The legislation is already available in the public domain.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of child benefit recipients' potential vulnerability to identity theft following the loss of their personal records by HM Revenue and Customs; what steps his Department has taken to guard against that risk.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04.
	On 20 November, the Chancellor announced a review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the child benefit data missing from HM Revenue and Customs carried a protective  (a) marking and  (b) classification.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	As the location of the data is the subject of police investigation, it would be inappropriate to publicly divulge any details of the appearance of the CDs at this stage.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many HM Revenue and Customs officials had permission to copy onto a computer disc a full copy of HMRC's data on the payment of child benefits as at 18 October 2007.
	(2)  pursuant to his oral statement of 20 November 2007, whether the same HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) official provided the National Audit Office with a full copy of HMRC's data in relation to the payment of child benefit in  (a) March 2007 and  (b) October 2007.

Jane Kennedy: holding answers 26 November 2007
	There is an ongoing Metropolitan Police Service investigation and an independent review of HMRC's security processes and procedures for data handling led by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of families in Peterborough constituency whose personal data relating to their child benefit claims has been lost by HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients: including those in Peterborough constituency.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency are published as part of National Statistics and can be found in tables 2 and 3 of Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geog-aug06.pdf

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of HM Revenue and Customs' staff training in procedures on access to copying and dissemination of personal data.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	Kieran Poynter, chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers, will investigate HMRC's security processes and procedures for data handling.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The review will cover the steps that should be taken to ensure any further measures are adhered to consistently by all staff.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of those children and parents' personal details contained on the two CD-Roms lost in transit between HM Revenue and Customs and the National Audit Office on 18 October were from  (a) Leeds and  (b) West Yorkshire.

Jane Kennedy: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients: including those in Leeds and West Yorkshire.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency are published as part of National Statistics and can be found in Tables 2 and 3 of Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geog-aug06.pdf

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department are working on tracing the lost compact discs containing child benefit data.

Jane Kennedy: The Metropolitan police are conducting a full investigation in order to find the missing data. As part of their investigation, the police are leading the search of HMRC premises. HMRC staff are co-operating fully with the Metropolitan police in their ongoing searches and investigations.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the merits of using an alternative courier to transport data from the HM Revenue and Customs to external destinations.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The loss of the discs is subject of an ongoing police investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
	On 13 November HMRC initiated immediate increased security.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced a review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the loss of confidential child benefit information was not made public until 20 November; whether  (a) banks and  (b) the Information Commissioner requested the matter not to be made public until that time; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Statement of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1110-18, on HM Revenue and Customs, how many individual records or cell fields were contained in the two missing discs.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement which the Chancellor of the Exchequer made to the House on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in North West Cambridgeshire had their personal details on the two disks which have been lost by HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients, including those in the North West Cambridge constituency.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency are published as part of National Statistics and can be found in tables 2 and 3 of Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geogaug06.pdf

Data Protection: Public Participation

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recommendations he has received from the Public-Private Forum on Identity Management; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1054W.

Departmental Data Protection

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the most recent information security guidelines were issued by  (a) HM Revenue and Customs and  (b) his Department.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	On 13 November HMRC's chairman wrote to his directors to set out rules governing the transfer of data and also wrote to all staff initiating an immediate tightening of security.
	On 27 September the HM Treasury Permanent Secretary emailed all staff in the Department reminding them of their responsibilities. This covered all aspects of security.

Departmental Data Protection

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Ministers in his Department have responsibility for security of information held by  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	Under the overall direction of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Exchequer Secretary is responsible for the information security in the Treasury.
	Operationally, HM Revenue and Customs is independent of Ministers. The Commissioners for Revenue and Customs are answerable to Parliament through the Financial Secretary.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury currently employs, in line with HM Government employment guidelines, the following:
	 (a) 38 EU foreign nationals (including those from the Republic of Ireland) and
	 (b) 27 non-EU foreign nationals.

Departmental Land

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what land surplus to his Department's requirements it is  (a) selling,  (b) leasing and  (c) planning to (i) sell and (ii) lease; and what the size and name of each relevant site is.

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor has no land currently surplus to the requirements of his Department.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the office costs for his Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers.

Angela Eagle: As part of their responsibilities, five staff currently provide support to the special advisers to the Chief Secretary and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and to the Council of Economic Advisers. They provide support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
	Cost details are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned. Office costs will be accounted for in the 2007-08 departmental annual report and accounts.

Departmental Publicity

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by the then Financial Secretary (John Healey) on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 374W.

Employment: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of people in the Peterborough City Council area are employed in  (a) service industries and  (b) manufacturing industries; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 28 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of people in the Peterborough City Council area are employed in  (a) service industries and  (b) manufacturing industries. (168123)
	In 2005, an estimated 84 per cent of employee jobs in Peterborough local authority area were in service industries and 12 per cent. were in manufacturing industries.
	These estimates are from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI). They do not include self-employment jobs.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the ABI are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Game Birds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answers of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 593W, on VAT: game and 10 October 2006,  Official Report, column 725W, on game birds, what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the percentage of game birds shot for sport which are (i) consumed by humans and (ii) disposed of by other means; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	During 2006 and 2007, my Department commissioned research to develop a tool to monitor the harvest of huntable birds and other bird species in the UK using data collected under existing National Gamebag Census (NGC) and Waterfowl Shooting Survey (WSS) schemes for the purposes of monitoring UK bag statistics, in particular for species whose European conservation status is considered unfavourable. The research found that the NGC and WSS have the potential to monitor bags of 21 out of 27 huntable species and has the potential to monitor all 11 pest species. The tool needs further refinement before it could be used to monitor hunting bags.
	A report by the Public and Corporate Economic Consultants in 2006 estimated that the total number of gamebirds and wildfowl shot for sport in 2004 was just under 19 million, almost four fifths of these were pheasants and 99 per cent. was destined for the food chain. A small percentage of birds may not pass as fit for human consumption under EU food hygiene regulations which came into force on 1 January 2006.

Health Insurance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package.

Angela Eagle: No officials in the Treasury or its agencies have private health insurance as part of their employment package.

Invest to Save Budget: Cost Effectiveness

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of the Invest to Save programme.

Andy Burnham: A review of the Invest to Save Budget: An Innovation Fund for Public Services was published on 24 July 2007 with a chapter on the value for money of the Invest to Save Budget (ISB) portfolio.
	A copy of the review can be found in the House Library.

Migrant Workers: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of inward migration on  (a) economic activity and  (b) the labour market in Peterborough constituency over the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 28 November 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on economic activity and the labour market in the Peterborough parliamentary constituency. (168765)
	Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the main summary indicator of economic activity in the UK. Because data collection, estimation and reporting are not structured according to demographic groups, the national accounts framework does not however make it possible to identify the direct contribution of immigrants to the measured levels of economic activity.
	The Office for National Statistics compiles statistics for labour supply indicators for local areas from the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	The data for analysing migrant workers comes from the above surveys. The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is routinely based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad, are of working age (16-64 for men, 16-59 for women), and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis. It means, for example, that some people who are UK nationals will be included in the total of foreign born and that people who are working but are above state pension age are not included.
	When interpreting these figures, it is important also to bear in mind that the LFS and APS are not designed to cover everyone who is present in the UK. The survey may undercount the numbers of people who were born overseas. The reasons are set out in the table footnote.
	The annual LFS and APS estimates at this detailed level are only available consistent with the UK population estimates published in February and March 2003 and are not comparable with the estimates published in the Labour Market Statistics First Release on 14 November 2007, which are based on latest population estimates.
	The table attached, shows the numbers of employed, unemployed and economically active persons of working age who were not born in the UK and were resident in Peterborough constituency, for the twelve month periods ending in February for 2001 to 2004 from the annual LFS, and for the twelve month periods ending in March 2005, March 2006 and December 2006 from the APS (the January to December 2006 APS dataset is the most recent for which information on country of birth is currently available). The table also shows the numbers of non-UK born economically active persons as percentages of all economically active persons of working age, in the area. Data on country of birth are not available on annual LFS datasets before 2000.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. Estimates of change over time should be treated with particular caution.
	
		
			  Economic activity status of working age( 1)  non-UK born people in the Peterborough constituency 
			   Thousands  
			  12  m onths ending  Employment level  Unemployment level  Economically active  Non-UK born economically actives as percentage of all economically actives (Percentage) 
			 February 2001 4 * 4 10 
			 February 2002 5  5 11 
			 February 2003 5 * 5 11 
			 February 2004 6  6 13 
			 March 2005 7 * 7 16 
			 March 2006 6 1 7 17 
			 December 2006 10 1 11 25 
			 (1) Includes males aged 16-64 and females aged 16-59 * Sample size too small to provide estimate.  Estimate less than 500  Notes: Estimates are subject to sampling variability. It should also be noted that the country of birth question in the LFS gives an undercount because: it excludes certain people who have not been resident in the UK for six months. it excludes students in halls who do not have a UK resident parent. it excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc). it is grossed to population estimates which exclude migrants staying for less than 12 months. microdata are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003 which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates.  Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population survey.

Public Expenditure

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total block grant allocated to  (a) Scotland,  (b) Northern Ireland,  (c) Wales and  (d) comparable Government spending on services in England was in each year since 2001-02.

Andy Burnham: Departmental expenditure limits of all UK Departments and the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the years 2001-02 to 2007-08 are set out in table 1.12 of the 2007 edition of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. Spending totals relating to comparable services in England are not published. The comparability factors for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are published in annex C of the Treasury publication Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: Statement of Funding Policy. This was first published in 1999 and has been updated in each spending review.

Revenue and Customs

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer further to his statement of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-18, on HM Revenue and Customs, whether he intends to publish the advice he received from the Information Commissioner.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer received advice from the Information Commissioner at their meeting on 15 November. The Information Commissioner did not provide written advice.

Tax Yields: Offshore Industry

Frank Doran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the effect of decommissioning North sea oil and gas platforms and other infrastructure on tax revenues over the next  (a) five,  (b) 10,  (c) 15 and  (d) 20 years.

Angela Eagle: The Government's forecast for North sea tax revenues take into account an assessment of the expected impact of decommissioning. Overall estimates of the cost of decommissioning vary, however the eventual monetary and tax cost is likely to be significant. This will in due course give rise to a downward impact on North sea revenues. However the impact of this will be spread over a large number of years and with the significant remaining potential of the North sea the UK will continue to benefit from our national natural resources for a considerable time.

HEALTH

Abortion

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of conceptions which ended in terminations in each year from 1990 to 2000.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Annual statistics on abortions as a percentage of all conceptions (England and Wales) for each year from 1990 to 2000 
			  Conceptions all ages 
			   Total (000)  Percentage ending in abortion 
			 1990 871.5 19.9 
			 1991 853.6 19.3 
			 1992 828.0 19.3 
			 1993 819.0 19.2 
			 1994 801.6 19.5 
			 1995 790.3 19.7 
			 1996 816.9 20.8 
			 1997 800.4 21.3 
			 1998 797.0 22.3 
			 1999 774.0 22.6 
			 2000 767.0 22.7

Accident and Emergency Services: NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made any assessment of the impact of NHS Direct on the  (a) number and  (b) appropriateness of accident and emergency attendances.

Ben Bradshaw: Less than 10 per cent. of the total number who call NHS direct and only 8 per cent. of those with symptoms are advised currently to attend accident and emergency. Nearly half (47 per cent.) of all calls to NHS Direct are completed within NHS Direct meaning that the patient does not need to seek help or treatment elsewhere.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many under 14 year olds were treated for alcohol-related health problems in the last 12 months, broken down by strategic health authority.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  All diagnoses count of finished admission episodes for under 14 years olds with alcohol specific conditions by strategic health authority (SHA) of treatmentnational health service hospitals, 2005-06 
			   Strategic health authority of treatment  Finished admission episodes with alcohol specific conditions  All finished admission episodes  Alcohol Specific Episodes as a percentage of all episodes 
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 31 66,750 0.05 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 19 38,559 0.05 
			 Q03 Essex SHA 30 37,716 0.08 
			 Q04 North West London SHA 30 62,277 0.05 
			 Q05 North Central London SHA 32 64,663 0.05 
			 Q06 North East London SHA 18 57,064 0.03 
			 Q07 South East London SHA 26 51,605 0.05 
			 Q08 South West London SHA 32 46,749 0.07 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne Wear SHA 63 57,429 0.11 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA 57 43,599 0.13 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire SHA 58 40,547 0.14 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire SHA 64 73,871 0.09 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 128 57,883 0.22 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester SHA 139 107,048 0.13 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA 106 82,585 0.13 
			 Q16 Thames Valley SHA 52 67,752 0.08 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 37 52,952 0.07 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway SHA 37 44,491 0.08 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex SHA 61 69,315 0.09 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA 46 73,461 0.06 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula SHA 53 48,410 0.11 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset SHA 25 28,908 0.09 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire SHA 51 55,921 0.09 
			 Q24 Trent SHA 34 62,900 0.05 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA 20 47,934 0.04 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA 68 47,847 0.14 
			 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country SHA 83 102,793 0.08 
			 Q28 West Midlands South SHA 41 41,692 0.10 
			 Total  1,441 1,632,721 0.09 
			  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, the Information Centre for health and social care

Ambulance Services: NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS ambulance trusts have call centres integrated with NHS Direct.

Ben Bradshaw: There are six NHS Direct call centres co-located with ambulance control rooms. NHS Direct is working with other services, including ambulance trusts, to increase partnership working.

Cirencester Hospital

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 267W, on Cirencester Hospital, when he expects to announce the decision on an independent sector provider contract for Cirencester Hospital.

Ben Bradshaw: The proposed scheme for the Avon, Gloucester and Wiltshire area, which currently includes Cirencester hospital as a potential site for services, is proceeding through the phase 2 procurement process. The Department has recently concluded discussions with the national health service with regard to the final specifications of the scheme with the aim of ensuring that health care services are effective, accessible and responsive to local needs.
	The Department will conclude decisions on the remaining phase 2 schemes no later than end of March 2008. Announcements on any contracted provider will be made once the scheme has received all the necessary approvals.

Dental Services: Ribble Valley

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents of  (a) Ribble Valley and  (b) Lancashire are currently registered with an NHS dentist.

Ann Keen: holding answer 27 November 2007
	The information is not available in the requested format. Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with a dentist to receive national health service care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') in a given area over a 24-month period, for that area. Information is available at primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) area in England, but not at constituency level.
	In the East Lancashire PCT 164,213 patients were seen over a 24-month period ending 31 March 2007; 111,291 adults and 52,922 children.
	In the north west SHA 4,090,077 patients were seen over a 24-month period ending 31 March 2007; 2,993,028 adults and 1,097,049 children.

Departmental Data Protection

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is compliant with IS027001 the International Standards Organisation standard on information security management systems which replaced BS7799.
	The Department is currently being assessed for continued compliance with the standard under the terms by which compliance is assured.

Departmental Property

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department on renovation and refurbishment of its properties in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Spend by the Department in the financial years from 2002-03 has been:
	
		
			
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 1,113,565 
			 2004-05 963,974 
			 2005-06 5,033,305 
			 2006-07 3,520,407

Diabetes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government has taken to improve the lives of those with diabetes since 1997.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 In December 2001 the Department published the Diabetes National Service Framework (NSF). This set out 12 National Standards for diabetes in the areas of prevention, identification, education and treatment and was put in place to raise the quality of services for people with diabetes.
	The standards were followed by the National Service Framework: Delivery Strategy. Published in January 2003, the Delivery Strategy provides a vision of what services should be in place by 2013, and what steps will be necessary to deliver those services.
	The national diabetes support team (NDST) was established in 2003. This has been a successful mechanism for the delivery of the NSF, providing support to local services through its regional programme managers and developing tools and resources that can be used nationally.
	Dr. Sue Roberts was appointed national clinical director to lead on implementation of the National Service Framework. Dr. Roberts works closely with colleagues in the Department and the NDST to spread good practice and provide professional leadership at a national level.
	The introduction of the new Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) as part of the general practitioner contract had led to the diagnosis of around 200,000 extra people in the last two years. This means that these people are now able to access the care, advice and treatment they need to enable them to manage their diabetes more effectively and reduce their risk of complications. The QOF also measures achievement of key clinical indicators for people with diabetes, such as HbA1c, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This has also shown improvements in the management of diabetes over the last three years.
	The Department works together with the NDST and other organisations such as Diabetes UK to provide the national health service with tools and guidance to support them in improving local services for people with diabetes. This includes a Diabetes Commissioning Toolkit, care planning guidance and a report on improving services for children and young people with diabetes.
	Patient education is key to empowering people with diabetes to be partners in their own care. The number of sites offering good quality structured education is increasing, but the 2007 Healthcare Commission survey of people with diabetes showed that only 11 per cent., of people with diabetes have accessed patient education. We are supporting the spread of these programmes through our patient education guidance, which outlines the elements necessary for developing high-quality patient education programmes and highlights best practice to enable local services to meet the recommendations in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance and NSF.
	The fourth NSF progress report The Way Ahead: The Local Challenge was published in March 2007 and highlights progress made in the four years following the publication of the delivery strategy. The report highlights the progress that frontline NHS staff have made in improving diabetes services, and provides examples of best practice. A copy has been placed in the Library and is also available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_072812

Drugs: Patents

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many British companies hold the patents to drugs that have no generic alternative.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	From the databases which record patent data, it is not possible to determine which patents, for products having pharmaceutical properties, have resulted in drugs which have been put on sale in the market place. It is also not possible from these databases to tell whether a generic equivalent of a patented drug is available. While a patent remains in force, it is unlikely that a generic alternative will be available.

General Practitioners

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the costs and benefits of GPs with special interests.

Ben Bradshaw: No assessment has been made centrally of the costs and benefits of general practitioners (GPs) with special interests. It is for local health commissioners, both primary care trusts and practice-based commissioners, to determine which local services - including services provided by GPs with a special interest will best meet the needs of their local populations within the resources available to them, and to fund these services accordingly. The development of GPs with special interests has expanded the range of options available to local commissioners.

General Practitioners: Manpower

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are for each 100,000 of the population in each  (a) region and  (b) primary care trust area.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	This information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  General Medical Practitioners (excluding GP Retainers and GP Registrars)( 1)  per 100,000 head of population by Primary Care TrustEngland 
			  Number (headcount) 
			 GPs (excluding retainers and registrars)  GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) per 100,000 population 
			  England   33,091 65.3 
			 Q30  North East  1,815 70.9 
			  5ND County Durham PCT 345 69.0 
			  5J9 Darlington PCT 70 70.6 
			  5KF Gateshead PCT 134 70.0 
			  5D9 Hartlepool PCT 59 65.5 
			  5KM Middlesbrough PCT 94 68.3 
			  5D7 Newcastle PCT 176 63.7 
			  5D8 North Tyneside PCT 141 73.3 
			  TAC Northumberland Care Trust 311 99.9 
			  5QR Redcar and Cleveland PCT 89 64.2 
			  5KG South Tyneside PCT 100 66.1 
			  5E1 Stockton-on-Tees Teaching PCT 115 61.6 
			  5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 181 63.8 
			 Q31  North West  4,392 63.8 
			  5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 171 55.8 
			  5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 83 59.2 
			  5HP Blackpool PCT 88 61.6 
			  5HQ Bolton PCT 168 63.3 
			  5JX Bury PCT 119 64.9 
			  5NP Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 286 63.9 
			  5NG Central Lancashire PCT 261 58.0 
			  5NE Cumbria PCT 378 75.8 
			  5NH East Lancashire PCT 221 57.9 
			  5NM Halton and St. Helens PCT 170 57.6 
			  5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 127 61.5 
			  5J4 Knowsley PCT 81 54.2 
			  5NL Liverpool PCT 321 71.7 
			  5NT Manchester PCT 306 69.4 
			  5NF North Lancashire PCT 201 62.0 
			  5J5 Oldham PCT 125 57.0 
			  5F5 Salford PCT 154 71.2 
			  5NJ Sefton PCT 170 60.5 
			  5F7 Stockport PCT 186 66.0 
			  5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 131 53.0 
			  5NR Trafford PCT 129 60.5 
			  5J2 Warrington PCT 117 60.1 
			  5NN Western Cheshire PCT 174 74.8 
			  5NK Wirral PCT 225 71.9 
			 Q32  Yorkshire and the Humber  3,386 66.9 
			  5JE Barnsley PCT 133 59.9 
			  5NY Bradford and Airedale PCT 369 76.1 
			  5J6 Calderdale PCT 112 57.4 
			  5N5 Doncaster PCT 170 58.7 
			  5NW East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 190 58.0 
			  5NX Hull PCT 156 62.6 
			  5N2 Kirklees PCT 250 63.4 
			  5N1 Leeds PCT 500 69.1 
			  5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 96 60.5 
			  5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 96 62.6 
			  5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 554 72.1 
			  5H8 Rotherham PCT 145 57.3 
			  5N4 Sheffield PCT 381 73.2 
			  5N3 Wakefield District PCT 234 73.0 
			 Q33  East Midlands  2,570 60.1 
			  5ET Bassetlaw PCT 62 56.0 
			  5N7 Derby City PCT 159 68.0 
			  5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 452 63.3 
			  5PC Leicester City PCT 154 53.5 
			  5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 374 56.2 
			  5N9 Lincolnshire PCT 403 59.2 
			  5PD Northampton PCT 389 59.7 
			  5EM Nottingham City PCT 183 65.7 
			  5N8 Nottinghamshire County PCT 394 60.4 
			 Q34  West Midlands  3,390 63.2 
			  5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 236 59.5 
			  5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 196 64.4 
			  5PE Dudley PCT 187 61.2 
			  5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 176 66.0 
			  5CN Herefordshire PCT 137 76.6 
			  5PH North Staffordshire PCT 117 55.7 
			  5PF Sandwell PCT 186 65.0 
			  5M2 Shropshire County PCT 205 70.9 
			  TAM Solihull Care Trust 134 66.7 
			  5M1 South Birmingham PCT 263 77.9 
			  5PK South Staffordshire PCT 343 57.3 
			  5PJ Stoke on Trent PCT 144 58.5 
			  5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 97 60.0 
			  5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 132 52.1 
			  5PM Warwickshire PCT 315 59.0 
			  5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 133 55.5 
			  5PL Worcestershire PCT 389 70.0 
			 Q35  East of England  3,568 64.4 
			  5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 258 64.9 
			  5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 394 66.9 
			  5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 317 61.1 
			  5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 141 68.0 
			  5GC Luton PCT 101 54.6 
			  5PX Mid Essex PCT 225 63.0 
			  5PQ Norfolk PCT 501 68.5 
			  5PW North East Essex PCT 181 59.3 
			  5PN Peterborough PCT 94 58.9 
			  5P1 South East Essex PCT 205 62.9 
			  5PY South West Essex PCT 230 59.8 
			  5PT Suffolk PCT 399 69.1 
			  5PV West Essex PCT 173 63.3 
			  5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 349 65.9 
			 Q36  London  4,868 64.8 
			  5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 75 45.6 
			  5A9 Barnet PCT 218 66.1 
			  TAK Bexley Care Trust 98 44.5 
			  5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 194 71.8 
			  5A7 Bromley PCT 198 65.6 
			  5K7 Camden PCT 156 69.0 
			  5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 178 82.1 
			  5K9 Croydon PCT 221 64.5 
			  5HX Ealing PCT 185 61.3 
			  5C1 Enfield PCT 159 56.7 
			  5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 118 51.7 
			  5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 102 56.7 
			  5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 150 66.8 
			  5K6 Harrow PCT 140 65.4 
			  5A4 Havering PCT 124 54.8 
			  5AT Hillingdon PCT 143 56.7 
			  5HY Hounslow PCT 122 57.4 
			  5K8 Islington PCT 140 76.7 
			  5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 110 56.1 
			  5A5 Kingston PCT 113 73.8 
			  5LD Lambeth PCT 228 84.7 
			  5LF Lewisham PCT 179 72.3 
			  5C5 Newham PCT 181 73.5 
			  5NA Redbridge PCT 123 48.9 
			  5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 118 63.4 
			  5LE Southwark PCT 187 72.6 
			  5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 260 69.8 
			  5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 151 70.8 
			  5NC Waltham Forest PCT 149 66.5 
			  5LG Wandsworth PCT 198 70.4 
			  5LC Westminster PCT 150 61.4 
			 Q37  South East Coast  2,684 63.9 
			  5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 169 66.3 
			  5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 215 66.2 
			  5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 427 59.8 
			  5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 105 60.7 
			  5L3 Medway PCT 133 53.0 
			  5P5 Surrey PCT 717 67.4 
			  5P9 West Kent PCT 384 58.6 
			  5P6 West Sussex PCT 534 69.9 
			 Q38  South Central  2,611 66.0 
			  5QG Berkshire East PCT 232 61.2 
			  5QF Berkshire West PCT 302 67.9 
			  5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 315 63.6 
			  5QC Hampshire PCT 799 63.4 
			  5QT Isle of Wight PCT 87 62.1 
			  5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 141 63.0 
			  5QE Oxford PCT 455 75.5 
			  5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 116 61.2 
			  5L1 Southampton City PCT 164 73.9 
			 Q39  South West  3,807 75.0 
			  5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 127 73.1 
			  5QN Bournemouth and Poole PCT 233 77.5 
			  5QJ Bristol PCT 327 82.1 
			  5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 396 76.2 
			  5QQ Devon PCT 602 82.4 
			  5QM Dorset PCT 300 74.8 
			  5QH Gloucestershire PCT 399 69.4 
			  5M8 North Somerset PCT 128 65.6 
			  5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 188 76.4 
			  5QL Somerset PCT 409 79.3 
			  5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 170 68.5 
			  5K3 Swindon PCT 123 64.8 
			  TAL Torbay Care Trust 101 76.1 
			  5QK Wiltshire PCT 304 68.1 
			 (1) General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes GP Providers and GP Others.  Note: GMP data as at 30 September 2006  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics Resident Population Estimates, Office for National Statistics

General Practitioners: NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of NHS Direct on demand for GP out-of-hours services in those areas where NHS Direct  (a) is and  (b) is not integrated with GP out-of-hours services; with how many GP out-of-hours providers NHS Direct is integrated; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Out-of-hours services are commissioned by primary care trusts and do not form part of the national services commissioned by the Department from NHS Direct. Further information may be available from the Chairman of NHS Direct NHS Trust.

Health Services: Speech Impaired

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is provided to general practitioners in identifying and treating children with a speech, language or communication disability.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Government do not specify the content of the general practitioner (GP) training curriculum. This is the job of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB), which is the competent authority for postgraduate medical training in the United Kingdom. PMETB is an independent professional body.
	PMETB has recently approved a new curriculum for postgraduate general practice training developed by the Royal College of General Practitioners to accompany the introduction of new training programmes in August 2007 as part of the Modernising Medical Careers reforms, available at:
	www.rcgp-curriculum.org.uk
	This should incorporate all the various requirements for training as a GPany comments on the curriculum should be addressed to PMETB or the college.

Health Services: Waiting Lists

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has a traffic light assessment, or other risk monitoring, system in place for individual NHS trusts to monitor performance against targets that patients should wait no more than 18 weeks for treatment.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department publishes performance information on 18 weeks on [www.gnn.gov.uk]. The performance information is regularly reviewed with strategic health authorities as part of routine management discussions.

Heart Diseases: Transplant Surgery

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people are on the waiting list for heart transplant surgery;
	(2)  how many heart transplants were carried out in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	On 22 November 2007, 78 people were registered on the heart transplant list.
	The number of heart transplants carried out is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of heart only transplants performed in the UK, by year 
			   Number of heart only transplants performed 
			 2004 165 
			 2005 147 
			 2006 156

Heart Diseases: Transplant Surgery

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of hearts removed from donors  (a) were transplanted into recipients,  (b) reached their destination hospital within the safe limit of ischaemic time and  (c) were not transplanted into recipients, in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what percentage of donor hearts were found to be diseased or otherwise defective prior to transplantation in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The three most common reasons for not retrieving the heart were poor function (40 per cent.), donor unsuitablepast history (17 per cent.) and no suitable recipients (12 per cent.). Overall 734 of the 1,044 hearts (70 per cent.) not retrieved were not retrieved due to medical issues with the organ or donor (50 per cent. of all hearts offered). This is shown in the following table.
	The reasons given for not transplanting 14 hearts, which were retrieved, were: donor unsuitablepast history (four), poor function (three), transport difficulties (two), unknown (two), organ damaged (one), donor unsuitableage (one) and donor unsuitablesize (one).
	There is no official 'safe' length of ischaemia time for donor hearts, but it is generally accepted that ischaemia times should be kept under four hours wherever possible. For adult deceased heartbeating donor hearts offered for transplant, 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2007, 70 per cent. of ischaemia times were four hours or less, 86 per cent. were 4.5 hours or less, 96 per cent, were five hours or less.
	 Note
	Ischaemia times relates to the time the heart is reperfused in the recipient, not to the time the heart arrives at the destination hospital.
	
		
			  Final outcome of UK adult deceased heartbeating donor hearts offered for transplant, 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2007 
			  Financial year  Hearts offered, not retrieved( 1)  Hearts retrieved, not transplanted  Hearts transplanted  Total hearts offered 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number 
			 2004-05 342 69 3 1 151 30 496 
			 2005-06 361 73 4 1 127 26 492 
			 2006-07 341 70 7 1 137 28 485 
			 Total 1,044 71 14 1 415 28 1,473 
			 (1) Includes hearts offered for transplant but subsequently retrieved for heart valves only.  Note: Includes hearts declined for transplant and subsequently used for research.

Hip Replacement: Waiting Lists

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for hip replacement operations in  (a) Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust and  (b) London NHS trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes (FAE) and mean and median time waited for hip replacements where strategic health authority was London by provider data for NHS hospitals England for 2005-06 
			  Provider code  Provider code description  Total admission episodes  Median time waited 
			 NTS 314 BUPA Roding Hospital 27 (1) 
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 170 168 
			 RAN Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 475 92 
			 RAP North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 124 191 
			 RAS The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 220 134 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 173 12 
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 118 54 
			 RF4 Barking, Havering And Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 644 166 
			 RFW West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 100 (1) 
			 RG2 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 272 181 
			 RG3TC Orpington Treatment Centre 223 122 
			 RG3-X Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 328 193 
			 RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 247 179 
			 RGZ Oueen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 264 167 
			 RJ1 Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 348 153 
			 RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 189 (1) 
			 RJ5 St Mary's NHS Trust 73 173 
			 RJ6 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 124 118 
			 RJ7 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust 171 145 
			 RJZ King's College Hospital NHS Trust 217 159 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 132 149 
			 RNH Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 103 140 
			 RNJ Barts and the London NHS Trust 220 139 
			 RQM Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust 250 85 
			 RQN Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust 493 135 
			 RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 43 79 
			 RRV University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 224 123 
			 RV8 North west London Hospitals NHS Trust 338 127 
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 461 172 
			 RVRTC South west London Elective Orthopaedic Centre 985 165 
			 RVR-X Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 236 15 
			 (1) There was no time waited data available. This may be due to poor recording of the admission date and/or decision to admit date.  Note: FAE A FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. Whilst this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Main Operation The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for 'all operations' count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation. OPCS 4.2 codes used: W37,W38,W39,W46,W47,W48  Time Waited (days) Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.  Source: (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many HIV/AIDS drug patents are held by British companies.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	There are 125 patents for different HIV/AIDS drugs held by UK based companies. These include subsidiaries of foreign companies which have a corporate address in the United Kingdom.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for what reason his Department proposes to decrease the number of sub-categories within the classification system for Part IX of the drug tariff; what account was taken of the balance of responses to the Department's recent consultation on the subject; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost of the two year consultation relating to Part IX of the Drug Tariff was; and what the cost was of Deloitte and Touche's fees for work on the consultation.

Ben Bradshaw: The current listing of stoma and incontinence appliances in part IX of the Drug Tariff is very broad.
	The November 2006 consultation set out proposals which classified the 5,000 plus stoma and incontinence items into 288 sub-categories of appliances deemed by healthcare professionals to meet similar medical need.
	Responses were reviewed by representatives from the original group of healthcare professionals and a wider group. This allowed two groups of specialists to be set up: one to review urology items and one to review stoma. As part of the review process, the panels again considered whether items met similar medical needand product features such as size and material.
	Based on the recommendations from these healthcare professionals, the Department now proposes that there should be 228 sub-categories of items as opposed to the 288 that were consulted on in November 2006.
	The cost of the review is part of the Department's ongoing operational budget. Deloitte are acting as advisors to the Department on this review. The contract between the Department and its adviser is an ongoing arrangement set up within the parameters of public sector procurement and is commercial in confidence.

Influenza: Vaccination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) courses of antivirals and  (b) doses of A/H5N1 vaccine were used for the prophylaxis of those potentially exposed to avian influenza infection in the (i) Essex A/H5N1 quarantine incident in 2005, (ii) the Fife A/H5N1 incident in 2006, (iii) the Norfolk A/H7N3 incident in 2006, (iv) the Suffolk A/H5N1 incident in 2007, (v) the North Wales A/H7N2 incident in 2007 and (vi) the Norfolk A/H5N1 incident in 2007; and what the average dosage was per person.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows, for each outbreak, the number of people to whom courses of the antiviral oseltamivir (tamiflu) were administered. The standard course for prophylactic treatment with oseltamivir is 75 mgs once a day for ten days. In the outbreaks of avian flu, a range of dose regimes was used as follows:
	the adult treatment dose is 75 mg twice a day for five days;
	the adult prophylactic dose (post exposure) 75 mg per day for 10 days;
	the adult prophylaxis dose (pre-exposure) 75 mg per day for up to 42 days (throughout period of exposure and continued until seven days after exposure); and
	the dose for children depends on the weight of the child.
	A/H5N1 vaccine is not used for outbreaks of avian flu. Our stockpile of vaccine is currently reserved for possible use in a human influenza pandemic.
	This corrects the information given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1357.
	
		
			  Number of people to whom courses of antivirals were administered 
			   Number of people( 1)  given a course of antiviral prophylaxis drugs 
			  Incident  Post-exposure prophylaxis  Pre-exposure prophylaxis  Total 
			 Essex A/H5N1 quarantine incident in 2005 8 0 8 
			 
			 Fife A/H5N1 incident in 2006 0 0 0 
			 
			 Norfolk A/H7N3 incident in 2006 (Dereham) 8 134 142 
			 
			 Suffolk A/H5N1 incident in 2007(Holton) 56 426 482 
			 
			 North Wales A/H7N2 incident in 2007 21 152 173 
			 
			 Suffolk(2) A/H5N1 incident in2007(Redgrave)(3) 29 146 175 
			 (1) These figures include adults and children. Fewer than 10 children received post-exposure prophylaxis with anitiviral drugs. No children received pre-exposure prophylaxis. (2) The incident took place in Suffolk and therefore the name of the incident given in the table is different to that listed in the question. (3 )Data as of 26 November 2007 (incident still ongoing).

Maidstone Hospital: Clostridium

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the performance of the relevant strategic health authority in relation to each outbreak of  clostridium difficile at Maidstone hospital.

Ann Keen: holding answer 27 November 2007
	The Healthcare Commission report of their Investigation into outbreaks of  clostridium difficile at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust included an assessment of the role of the south east coast strategic health authority (SHA). It included no specific recommendations for the SHA.

Mental Health Services: Warley

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to relocate the mental health unit at Mascalls Park, Warley to Romford.

Ben Bradshaw: Any proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally. As such, North East London Mental Health Trust (NELMHT) has recently conducted a full public consultation on the future of mental health services across the four boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest.
	The consultation began on 27 July and ended 19 October 2007, and we are informed that one of the key points for consultation was the future of in-patient mental health services for patients from Barking and Dagenham, and Havering, which are currently located at Mascalls Park hospital, Brentwood. The trust board will discuss the outcome of the consultation at its meeting on 27 November 2007.

Mid Essex Primary Care Trust: Bowel Cancer

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the national bowel cancer screening programme will be implemented in the Mid Essex Primary Care Trust area; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The NHS bowel cancer screening programme is one of the first national bowel screening programmes in the world, and the first cancer screening programme in England to invite men as well as women. It is an ambitious project, and full national roll-out is expected by December 2009.
	Work in the Mid Essex Primary Care Trust area is currently ongoing and we expect implementation to be achieved by mid to late 2008. The provision of local health services is the responsibility of the local national health service organisations in conjunction with their strategic health authorities.

Midwives: Pay

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on midwives' salaries.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 The Government have now submitted their evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body for the pay uplift from April 2008. This review body covers all Agenda for Change staff including midwives. It is for the review body to now consider all the issues including evidence from the unions before making their recommendations. It is not appropriate to speculate at this time what they may recommend.
	Our recommendations (2 per cent. rise in headline pay for staff) are in line with the Government's public sector pay policy to ensure economic stability. We are seeking a fair award reflecting the balance between the right level of pay and the need to be vigilant against the threats of inflation.

Milton Keynes Hospital: Cleaning Services

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many different areas of Milton Keynes hospital have been identified as requiring a deep clean;
	(2)  what decant area has been identified at Milton Keynes hospital to facilitate the proposed deep clean;
	(3)  what the estimated cost is to deep clean each area of Milton Keynes hospital proposed for a deep clean.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 As the Prime Minister made clear, deep cleaning will occur in all hospitals, starting this winter, with resources allocated through the strategic health authorities (SHAs). Each trust's deep-clean plan will vary according to local need. Trusts will agree costed deep clean plans with their lead commissioners and SHA, who will monitor performance against this plan, as per normal performance management arrangements. Foundation trusts will also be invited to agree plans and funding for additional deep cleaning with local commissioners, together with local arrangements for checking the agreed work has been carried out. SHAs will take an overview as to progress across their area and will report to the Department.
	Information on plans of individual trusts is therefore not routinely collected by the Department.

Monitor

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what mechanisms Monitor is held accountable to Parliament.

Ben Bradshaw: As set out in the National Health Service Act 2006, Monitor is held accountable to Parliament via the following mechanisms:
	the regulator must prepare an annual report on how it has exercised its functions during the year. The regulator must lay a copy of the report before Parliament;
	the regulator must in respect of each financial year prepare a report which provides an overall summary of the accounts of NHS Foundation Trusts. The regulator must lay a copy of the report before Parliament;
	the regulator must respond in writing to any recommendation which:
	is made by a Committee of either House of Parliament, or a Committee of both Houses; and
	relates to the exercise by the regulator of its functions.
	In addition, the regulator must exercise its functions effectively, efficiently and economically.
	As the designated accounting officer of Monitor, the chairman is responsible to Parliament for all resources under his control. In his capacity as accounting officer he may be called upon to appear before the Public Accounts Committee.

NHS Blood and Transplant: Schools

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the reasons were for setting the target for the number of schools participating in UK Transplant's Give and Let Live donor education programme for 2007-08 at 1,090;
	(2)  which schools have agreed to participate in UK Transplant's Give and Let Live donor education programme, broken down by local education authority;
	(3)  how much has been allocated to UK Transplant's Give and Let Live donor education programme for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

Ann Keen: holding answers 22 November 2007
	The target number of schools participating in the Give and Let Live donor education programme represents the 30 per cent. target that NHS blood and transplant (NHS BT) is aiming for. This 30 per cent. target was arrived at following professional advice and is considered challenging but realistic.
	Details of the schools participating in the programme are held within NHS BT, in accordance with the data management statement produced in conjunction with the schools involved.
	To date, approximately 260,000 has been spent on the project (2006-07 and 2007-08), which included additional set-up costs. A further 100,000 has been allocated for 2008-09. Budgets have yet to be set for 2009-10.

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of compliance amongst callers to NHS Direct with the advice they receive.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on this is not held centrally but may be available from the Chairman of NHS Direct NHS Trust.

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) are  (a) in operation,  (b) under construction and  (c) planned; how much has been spent on establishing ISTCs; how much is planned to be spent in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10; and what plans the Government have for the future of the ISTC programme;
	(2)  what funds have been allocated to compensate contractors involved in the provision of independent sector treatment centres for proposed treatment centres which will now not proceed.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	There are 23 fixed site wave 1 independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) in operation and six walk-in centres with a commuter focus. There is also a mobile ophthalmology service, a mobile MRI scanning service and a chlamydia screening service in Greater London for 16 to 24-year-olds. Five phase 2 ISTC schemes are operational, three offering elective procedures and two offering diagnostics. This includes the West Midlands diagnostics scheme which will stop providing services in February 2008. Through phase 2, services are currently being delivered through 103 fixed and mobile sites (including interim site solutions) and it is expected that an additional 13 sites will come on-stream in the coming months.
	Three phase 2 schemes have been approved to move to financial close and a further seven are in procurement. Services are expected to be delivered from a number of sites, which provide greater accessibility for patients, through phase 2 schemes in procurement. As part of the mobilisation process, through wave one there are two ISTC sites and through phase 2 there are three ISTC sites which are currently under construction.
	At the end of October 2007, the cost of the procurement of wave 1 and phase 2 was approximately 157 million including all assessment, scoping, procurement and associated management, professional advisory and support costs. This figure includes the cost incurred during 2007-08 (to date) of 11 million.
	The Department will conclude decisions on the remaining schemes by the end of March 2008. At this stage, in terms of year by year spend in establishing (procuring, mobilising and managing) the phase 2 ISTCs schemes in procurement, it is not possible to break down the costs further, as budgets have not been agreed for coming years.
	The Department will work with preferred bidders in a systematic way to consider any compensation claims that may be brought on a case by case basis, with regard to withdrawn schemes. No specific funds are allocated for this, however, the overall budget does include general contingencies for unforeseen events.

NHS Trusts: Maidstone

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure the representation of  (a) Maidstone and  (b) Tunbridge Wells areas on the board of the relevant new NHS trust.

Ann Keen: holding answer 27 November 2007
	The appointment of chairs and non-executive members of national health service trusts has been delegated by the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) to the Appointments Commission.
	There is no requirement for executive members of a NHS trust board to be representative of the area served by the trust.
	Preference will be given to people from the area served by the trust and the Commission will take account of the geographical spread of those recommended for appointment. The overarching principle, however, will be of appointment on merit. It will always be in the best interests of all of the communities served if the best available people are appointed to these important roles.

North East Region Strategic Health Authority: Finance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what surplus was reported for the North East Region strategic health authority in 2006-07; and to what uses it was put.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	At the end of 2006-07 North East strategic health authority reported an audited 64.5 million surplus. This surplus is not lost and is available to spend in future years.

North East Region Strategic Health Authority: Finance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what surpluses were reported by each trust in the North East Region strategic health authority area at 31 October; and what surpluses are projected to be achieved by 31 October 2008.

Ann Keen: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The following table shows 2007-08 quarter 1 forecast outturn surplus/(deficit) for national health service trusts in the North East strategic health authority. The Department does not have financial information relating to the 2008-09 financial year.
	
		
			  NHS Trust name  2007-08 Q1 Forecast outturn surplus/(Deficit) 000 
			 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust 75 
			 North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust 10,000 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust 0 
			 South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 7,000 
			 Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust 2,120 
			  Source: Department of Health financial returns

Nurses: Urological Cancers

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to change the provision of specialist nursing staff in the field of urological cancers; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many urological cancer clinical nurse specialists were employed in each acute NHS trust in the East of England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 27 November 2007
	Data on the number of urological cancer clinical nurse specialists are not collected centrally. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has identified clinical nurse specialists as core members of the urology multidisciplinary team in their Improving Outcomes in Urological Cancers guidance issued in 2002. It is for cancer networks to work in partnership with strategic health authorities, NHS trusts and postgraduate deaneries to put in place a sustainable process to assess, plan and review their workforce needs and the education and training of all staff linked to local and national priorities for cancer including the implementation of NICE improving outcomes guidance.

Paediatrics: Greater Manchester

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the secondary paediatrics services are fully transferred to North Manchester General Hospital and fully functioning when Booth Hall Children's Hospital closes;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the accident and emergency facility for children at North Manchester General Hospital is fully operational when Booth Hall Children's Hospital closes.

Ann Keen: holding answers 22 November 2007
	Changes to local services are a matter for local national health service organisations. The North West strategic health authority reports that NHS organisations have formed a children's programme board to lead on the important improvements to NHS care in the city of Manchester arising from the Making it Better public consultation process. This includes the transfer of services currently located at Booth Hall children's hospital.
	These changes are subject to a thorough and robust planning process. Secondary care services will remain fully operational throughout the period of change, operating from the North Manchester general hospital site immediately following the closure of Booth Hall.

Prescription Drugs

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the amount of drugs classified as wasted was in 2006, broken down by region;
	(2)  what guidance he has issued to GPs on over-prescribing;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of pharmacists in tackling the over-prescribing of medicines;
	(4)  whether there is a limit on the time for which any one medication is available on a patient's repeat prescription;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of medicines packaging design to drug wastage; and what potential improvements are likely to be made.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The Department has not quantified the amount of medicines classified as waste in 2006 nor assessed the potential contribution of medicines packaging design to drugs wastage. However, we have recently invited organisations to submit outline proposals on how to investigate the scale, costs and causes of medicines wastage.
	The Department has not issued guidance to general practitioners on over-prescribing. However, primary care trusts employ prescribing advisers, often pharmacists, to encourage and secure rational and cost-effective prescribing and provide a source of advice and support for prescribers in their area.
	The new contractual framework for community pharmacy supports a range of initiatives to help patients get the most from their medicines and reduce the amount of medicines wasted. Repeat dispensing is an essential service provided by all community pharmacies in England which allows prescriptions to be dispensed in instalments. Before dispensing the next instalment, the pharmacist must check with the patient that it is still needed. Medicines use reviews, an advanced service provided by accredited pharmacists in accredited premises and locally commissioned pharmacist-led full clinical medication reviews should also help to identify medicines that may no longer be required but they may also identify additional treatments that may be appropriate.
	There is no legal limit for how many times a repeat prescription can be issued for a given medication before a patient review must take place. This is a decision for the prescriber to make in conjunction with their patient.

Primary Health Care

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria will be used in deciding on the locations of the 150 new walk-in centres and 100 new GP practices announced as part of the pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 26 November 2007
	As set out in the 'Our NHS, Our Future' next stage review interim report we expect the 150 health centres to be easily accessible to all members of the local population, though the precise locations of the new health centres and practices will be determined by primary care trusts based on their local needs assessment.

Skin Cancer

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the most common state of progression of skin cancer when diagnosed by a GP.

Dawn Primarolo: None.